


Path

by digitalgate02



Series: Lady of the Castle [2]
Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2018-11-21 08:59:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11354157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitalgate02/pseuds/digitalgate02
Summary: Once the door has opened, more mysteries will be found.Follow the path in your heart and you will find the answer.





	1. The Vanished Light

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided this one will be plain text and only have illustrations when needed.  
> Also in the original version (AKA the original PT-BR version), this fic was my favorite because of the ending.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it. More will come. Perhaps I'll be working alone again, so be aware of bad grammar mistakes.

A few days later, Daisuke was reflecting about the dreams and the weird adventure he had in that weird world. No, he couldn’t believe it was in the Digital World, but another one. But there were digimon! Perhaps a parallel Digital World, like the one he had been sent to by Parallelmon once?

“You know, no one will believe me if I tell them that we crossed the worlds again…” - he mused, looking at the blue digimon on his shoulder - “I think if I tell them, they will think I fought another parallelmon. Also, Ken wasn’t with us that time… I think we should tell him then.”

“Or we can keep it as a secret” - suggested Chibimon.

“Not really, they wouldn’t like it” - he sighed - “Especially Ken. He would bug me asking where I would go, what I was doing, why didn’t I reply him…”

“True.”

Suddenly a girl passed by his side with another girl, she looked behind and saw him talking with a plush. She stared at him.

“Yo, Geijutsushi…” - he gave her a nervous smile.

“Hmph!” -  She grumbled and shook her head, then returned to chat with the other girl.  
They left, and Daisuke felt completely embarrassed.

“Man, why does she HATE me?!” - he questioned - “Seriously? I only said hi!”

“You... seem to like this girl” - Vee rolled his eyes.

“No, I just wish we could be friends. Everyone at school likes me, but her.”

“It doesn’t matter then. You never cared about what the others think of you, why do you do now?”

“I dunno…”

 

More days has passed. Daisuke kept avoiding Hikari, as in if he knows that she needed some privacy… But in reality she didn’t like that. She wanted him to talk with her again, to keep their bonds of friendship.

She had been paranoid about it, sometimes a bit upset with herself. The others tried everything to make them talk again, but Daisuke didn’t want to.  
Her only option was to find something good for his birthday, even if it was months away.

“Look, Takeru-kun!” - She chirped - “How about this? It’s cute. Maybe Daisuke-kun will like a can badge with his favorite character! Or how about this scarf with soccer ball pattern? Or how about this keychain?”

“Hikari-chan, it’s too early” - he gave a nervous laugh - “Aren’t we going to meet with the others? They must be waiting for us.”

“Fine, go ahead while I buy that keychain. I will catch up with you in a couple of minutes”

He shrugged, but whatever. If she said so…

“Maybe I should pick this one…” - she mused - “No, maybe _that_ one…”

Suddenly, the clouds blocked the sun and a cold breeze was felt. Hikari was sure this could mean trouble, but…

_“Help me.”_

“Who’s there?” - she asked, but noticed no one around her had heard that voice.

_“Help me… Please.”_

When she looked at the shop window, she saw a girl identical to her, just a few years older.  
She didn’t know what to do, Hikari was confused, not knowing if it was real or was it just daydreaming, but that girl… She seemed sad, and was begging for her help.

Hikari just placed her hand on the glass, but it rippled like if it were made of water. Then, her hand got grabbed by the ‘reflection’ pulling her inside the shop window. Her bag fell on the floor and when Takeru looked around (for having some bad vibe because of that change in the weather)...

“H-Hikari-chan?!”

_She was gone._

 

“What do you mean she disappeared out of nowhere?!” - said both Daisuke and Tailmon, once Takeru had gathered the group under the Akemi bridge -- in the pavilion -- since the computer school had been occupied.

“Y-yeah…” - Takeru was hesitant; he glanced at the ground - “S-she did.”

“And you didn’t do anything?!” - Daisuke grabbed him by his shirt, giving him a dead glare - “ANSWER ME!!”

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t do anything, okay?!” - Takeru faced him and grabbed Daisuke’s shoulder“- “But you can’t treat me like I purposely wanted her to get harmed!”

“You two, STOP!” - Miyako got them separated - “Fighting won’t help to find Hikari-chan!”

“Miyako-san is right” - Ken said calmly - “And Motomiya-kun, you shouldn’t blame Takeru-kun. Especially when there was nothing to do to prevent it” - and he looked at Takeru next - “Did you check if she wasn’t inside the store? Did anyone else saw her disappearing beside you?”

“... No, she wasn’t inside” - and Takeru replied - “And no one else saw her entering in or leaving the store. It was… weird.”

“Hm…”

“Couldn’t she…” - Iori started but then dropped whatever he was going to say - “N-Nevermind.”

“The Dark Ocean…?” - But Miyako realized what the youngest of them wanted to ask - “Do you think she got sent to that place again?”

That name made Ken feel a bit uncomfortable, but no one noticed that. And the ones who could’ve noticed were too busy in the conversation.

“I don’t think so” - Tailmon mused - “But now I’m feeling that I’m a horrible partner for letting her disappear like that again. How can we find her?”

“What if she’s in the Digital World?” - Daisuke was trying to find another answer - “It is possible to open a gate without a digital device right? I-Ichijouji was been able to open the gate without a computer, remember?!”

“What if she’s not there?” - Takeru confronted him - “The Digital World is not the only option. And if she’s in the Dark Ocean, this means he’s going to hurt her!”

Ah yes, Daemon. They had sealed him there last year. And it was a tough battle.  
Ken didn’t want to be forced to open the gate to the Dark World again, so he was about to escape from that gathering and let the other kids search for Hikari… But Daisuke immediately grabbed him by his shoulder and gave a serious gaze. That meant he had to stay.

“It can’t be the Dark Ocean!” - Daisuke insisted - “We sealed Daemon there! Also, only Ken can open the gate, and we won’t take the risk of letting Daemon escape!” - And he could feel Takeru’s anger - “No, we will look for her here first. If we don’t find her in the Digital World or in the human world, Ichijouji will open the gate of the darkness and we’re going to see if she had been summoned to that place again.”

You can see in Ken’s face that he totally disliked that plan.

“But the question is…” - Iori tried again - “Do we know where we should start looking for Hikari-san?”

“... No we don’t” - they all said in a disappointed tone.

“Let’s split and try to find her” - Daisuke ordered - “I’ll look in the Digital World, you guys try here” - then he left.

“I’ll ask the store’s owner and employees again,” - said Takeru.

“I’ll try to see if she had been to the ice cream shop lately” - and Miyako left.

“We can try the school” - Mused Iori.

“Takeru-kun,” - Ken called him - “I noticed you’ve been hesitant, you didn’t tell the entire story.”

“A-are you accusing me now?!”

“No, I’m saying that there’s something you didn’t want to tell us-- No, not us but Motomiya-kun.”

Iori frowned. But then Takeru sighed and finally said what was bugging him:

“Hikari-chan wanted to buy him a present” - he began - “She told me she were going to buy something and meet us here, but then I felt some strange feeling and looked back… Then she had disappeared. She was a bit paranoid about Daisuke not talking to her, I never had seen her like that before.”

“But does it mean Hikari-san likes Daisuke-san back?” - Iori blinked, while Takeru kept in silence.

“She’s not the kind to feel like that” - Ken mused - “Not by what I know, there must be some reason…”

“She rejected an invite to the beach” - Takeru explained - “Since then, Daisuke-kun stopped talking to her.”

“This is all Daisuke-san’s fault…” - Iori shook his head - “W-well, I’ll try the school. Bye” - and he walked away.

“I don’t think its Daisuke-kun’s fault” - Takeru said, but Iori probably didn’t hear him - “Well, perhaps it’s, but not about her vanishing.”

“So Hikari-san and Motomiya-kun are not talking to each other” - Ken kept musing - “She had refused his invite and now he probably thinks she does not want to talk to him anymore, and it was driving Hikari-san crazy because he misunderstood her.”

“Yes, basically.”

“... Iori-kun’s right, this is all Motomiya-kun’s fault. Not the case, but the whole miscommunication between Hikari-san and Motomiya-kun.”

“Yeah…”

 

“You seem desperate” - Chibimon commented, watching Daisuke rushing to somewhere - “Do you regret something…?”

“Stay quiet.”

“Is it because you wanted to respect her privacy and ended up cutting bonds with her?”

“You’re not helping!”

“What if she’s not in the Digital World, but some other world? N-Not the Dark Ocean, but maybe… Some other place…?”

“CHIBIMON.”

He stopped.  
And glanced at the digimon’s head popping out of the sports bag.

“I’m trying to help!”

“Yeah? Helping by teasing me?!”

“... You’ve been bugged about a lot of things.”

“Like a weird castle in the Digital world with some weird digimon being able to copy my friends’ forms?! Don’t tell me we went to another world AGAIN!”

“Daisuke! Look!”

The goggle boy glanced at the mysterious light floating in front of him, a purple light orb, it seemed like it was invisible to the others. No one could hear it. Untouchable.

_“Sir Daisuke, I request your help.”_

“Oh no, not you!” - Daisuke gritted his teeth - “First Hikari-chan disappears, and now YOU appear. I thought you wanted me to escape with that Digimental of Miracles and I did! Also, could you stop using my friend’s voice?!”

_“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘using’ your friend’s voice. But I assume you’re thinking I’m a digimon, and I have to tell you that I’m not. I’m a human -- a person -- just like you. But this is not the case, I need your assistance in this world. I will explain later.”_

“Man, everyone in this street may be thinking I’m crazy by talking with some Christmas light floating in the middle of the sidewalk.”

_“... They cannot see nor hear me. And they cannot hear you while we’re talking with each other.”_

“See, I magically disappeared from my world, right? Oh wait, lemme check--”

 _“Enough. I can sense you’re in a bad mood, but this will cause some damage to_ your _world as well.”_

“Daisuke” - Chibimon stared at him - “Quit the bitter tone! If Warlock needs us, then we need to go.”

“And how about Hikari-chan?! Isn’t she more important than some random task from a wizard from the magical land of I-don’t-care?”

“Seriously…”

_“Sir Daisuke, is there something wrong?”_

“Nah, I’m totally chill… Just my friend Hikari-chan who disappeared from out of the blue and YOU’RE MAKING THINGS WORSE BECAUSE I NEED TO FIND HER!”

_“I see… So does Lia.”_

“The not-Hikari-chan is missing too? Wow, nice. Tell Daisuke from your world to look for her.”

 _“You’re making it difficult, sir… I can’t ask_ for his _help anymore.”_

“Why not?” - asked both Daisuke and Chibimon.

_“... I assume Lia must have done something to your friend. Hence why I came asking for your help.”_

“M-Man, don’t joke about it!” - Daisuke hissed.

_“Come. I will help you to find your friend… And Lia, if they’re together.”_

“I dunno man…” - he said with an annoyed tone - “What if you’re just tricking me to go to your castle and find not-Hikari for you?”

_“I can assure you this is not a trick. There must be some connection, and you will need to solve the mystery by yourself.”_

“Fine… But let me say, the Daisuke from your world is stupid. Why can’t you count on him anymore? Geez, once I find him I gonna give him a lesson!”

_“I’m afraid you can’t do that.”_

“Why?”

 _“Because… Because_ he’s _gone, sir Daisuke.”_

Daisuke dropped all the bad mood and gasped in shock.

“G-gone?!”

“What do you mean with ‘gone’?!” - asked Chibimon.

But no more answers, the purple light swallowed them and then…  
Daisuke was now in the castle, in front Warlock.

 

A new door has opened.


	2. The Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post it before tri. pt5, but personal life didn't let me do it.  
> So okay I have another chapter to post, but first I'm thinking if I should add an illust or not...
> 
> Sorry for the late update.  
> And Thank you for your patience.

“Warlock, what do you mean by that?!” - Daisuke didn’t even question why he was being dragged to that castle, he had other priorities - “Gone? As in, dead?”

Warlock just remained silent.

“Eh? I evolved?” - and V-mon noticed he was now on the ground, by Daisuke’s side - “B-But yeah, what do you mean with ‘gone’, Warlock?!”

“… _He_ ’s dead,” - Warlock broke his silence - “It had been years, I must say. _He_ was my friend and I must say you and your fierce soul remind me of _him_.”

Shock.  
So that’s why Warlock seemed hesitant.

“W-well… How about Lia?” - Daisuke tried to change subject - “Do you think she is with Hikari-chan?”

“I assume she is” - he answered - “Because it’s a strange coincidence that your friend, Hikari, had disappeared in the same day Lia left the castle.”

“Oh… Well, Lia and Hikari-chan look alike” - Dai commented - “I mean, in appearance not in personality. Hikari-chan would’ve never hurt me and my friends.”

“You don’t understand” - Warlock sighed - “It’s because of  _his_ death she changed. She was pure, innocent and sweet. Although her past is darker than the labyrinth.”

“Was it the loss that changed her?” - Vee repeated - “Didn’t we already tell her to live her life and keep the good memories of her friend?”

“I tried, but then she decided to leave the castle looking for some ‘light’.”

“Hikari-chan…” - Daisuke figured it out - “S-so, Hikari-chan is in this world with Lia! Because Hikari-chan’s name means ‘light’… And she’s the Chosen Child of the Crest of Light!”

“A chosen of Light…” - Warlock mused - “Makes sense.”

“OK! So I have to find Lia, right? Do you know where she go? Or some idea?”

“I assume it shouldn’t be too far away from here. She can’t cross the ocean in a few days. I don’t think she left Scientia Terra yet. The only place I could suggest to take a look at is Lia’s homeland, Duskstella. But she also could’ve been in Purezza”

“Now those names are new” - Vee commented - “We don’t know anything about your world, how will we ever know where those places are at?”

“M-my bad–” - Warlock replied - “You’re in Scientia Terra, my homeland. Duskstella is on the other side of the ocean and its neighbor kingdom is Purezza.”

“Do you have some map to help us?” - Daisuke asked - “Or will we find those places by accident?”

“Take this, it will guide you in this world” - and then, Warlock gave Daisuke a mysterious star-shaped crystal pendant. The same one he had seen previously on that mysterious reflection and later on the strange Daisuke when he had been in that blank place during his fight with Flannery.

That pendant…  
It seemed familiar, maybe it was due to the memories mentioned above.

“I have to tell you, the task is hard and I’m sorry since I can’t accommodate you because Lia casted a spell on us – Flannery and me – so we couldn’t follow her.”

“Wow, nice friend you’ve got here, Warlock” - Vee shrugged.

“I can’t blame her, but I won’t agree with her behavior.”

“Is there anything more before we start looking for her and Hikari-chan?” - Daisuke seemed impatient - “I can’t spend the whole day here or my parents will… You know what? They won’t. No one truly cares about me besides a few people. They won’t even notice my disappearance.”

“I’ve seen this movie before” - V-mon had no intention to belittle Daisuke’s feelings, but that commentary kinda made Daisuke ignore him and glance at Warlock.

“Yes, there’s one thing I have to tell you” - Warlock began - “ _His_ murderer is still around and if he finds you, you will have to fight or run away.”

“Motomiya Daisuke never runs away…!” - he said with pride - “But maybe this time I have to, I don’t want to die and I don’t have superpowers like before.”

“Not a problem, I gonna evolve and fight whoever tries to kill Daisuke!” - Vee gave Warlock a serious gaze - “It’s my duty to protect him!”

The mage smiled, an innocent and warm smile.

“I know, you’re sir Daisuke’s friend and companion, so I believe you both can do it.”

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“OK, you can take this road and it will lead you to the bay,” - Warlock showed the direction by pointing with his hand - “There’s a village not so far from here where you can spend your time. Since Amis had left to do some chores at the morning, Lia wasn’t been able to cast a spell on him. You can ask for his assistance if you find some difficulty.”

“Okay, if I need his help I will do it” - Dai nodded - “But I doubt he will help me.”

“He will if you tell him it was my orders.”

“Sure…” - he rolled his eyes - “Okay, follow the road, find a village to spend the night and across the ocean. That’s pretty easy to me.”

“Don’t forget about the killer who killed the Daisuke from this world, Dai” - Vee said it with all the good intentions, but Daisuke misunderstood him and gave him a serious glare.

“I wish you good luck and strength, Sir Daisuke” - Warlock bowed his head.

They noticed a mysterious barrier in the door, but they could across it while Warlock couldn’t. Daisuke glanced at the mage, frowning. He heard Warlock’s explanation, but he didn’t truly believe it. From the barrier, the wizard watched them leaving and disappear in the horizon.

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Now far, far away from the castle, Daisuke kept asking himself a lot of things. First, how would he know where to go? How will they even know if they’re in the right place? And that star pendant, now the necklace on his neck, why was it so familiar to him? Mysteriously, the star had a fragile appearance, but he could feel its crystal had strength and it wasn’t that heavy. To be honest, the star was light like a feather (probably another unknown reason from that world) and could fit his palm. He looked it and felt like its center could fit a Crest’s plaque… Well, theoretically of course.

“You know, this is a weird item” - Daisuke broke the silence between him and Vee - “Do you think there’s some magic inside it? Why Warlock would give it to me? No, not ‘give’… But ‘entrust’… Do you think this thing has a holographic map?”

“We’re in another world, and Warlock said it will be our guide. Maybe it’s a magical compass?”

“How to active it…?”

“Try to look through it, maybe you can find some answer?”

“Do you think it will help? It’s strange but… I don’t think this will work at all. Like, if I say something like ‘crystal, show me a map’ it won’t work.”

“How about trying it…?”

“… Crystal, please show me a map…?”

No answer nor reaction.

“Maybe you need to say it louder.”

“Crystal! Show me a map!”

_Nope._

“Not working” - Daisuke sighed - “Maybe it’s like a Crest or Digimental, you have to conquer its trust first. Well, let’s just follow the road and stop in the village.”

“That’s sad, I’d like to see what Warlock meant with ‘it will be your guide in this world’.” - V-mon put his hands behind his neck - “I bet it would’ve been a great surprise.”

“Maybe it’s not the right hour” - Daisuke mused, still admiring the pendant - “At least he gave us some instructions. If we don’t find Lia and Hikari-chan in this place, then we will have to cross the ocean and find this Duskstella-place. We have no time to waste, V-mon.”

“Yosh! Give me the command, I’ll evolve and we will reach the village in a flash of light!”

“I like when we think together” - he smiled, then took the digivice from his pocket - “Time to go faster!” - and pointed the D-3 at his partner - “Friendship Digimental Up!” 

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With the team being so busy, enough that they didn’t notice Daisuke’s disappearance, Ken decided to focus on a small search in Hikari’s whereabouts, according to Miyako’s help. While the other kids decided to ask for information, Ken had diverse methods to investigate: It included interrogating people, but also the priority was to find any kind of clue in the scenarios. Anything that could’ve considered odd, anything that didn’t fit the place.

He had no success, but this does not mean he was about to give up. If there’s something he had absorbed from Daisuke it would be the determination. His heart was filled with it, small lights igniting a big flame. If Ken’s Crest of Kindness had taught Daisuke about Ken, then so saying, Daisuke’s heart – with some unknown trait to be discovered someday – had taught Ken to never lose hope and fight until the end.

Mutual feelings. A strong bond of friendship lived within these two. Bonds that transcend time and space. Bonds like… Warlock’s with  _him._

“We couldn’t find anything here…” - Ken was now taking a break from his investigation, drinking a can of soda. Nothing made sense, it was hard to discover anything to solve this mystery - “She disappeared… No traces left behind, no clues… This is hard.”

_Think._

“I can’t rule out the Dark World, but I’d like if I could. She was there before, while I was the Kaiser… That place, why would they summon her there again? Didn’t she and I solve our issues with that place…? Is this some kind of trick to force us open the gate and set Daemon free?”

_No, think again._

“I have to calm down… I can’t let this anxiety ruin my thoughts, I have to think again. Maybe I’m forgetting something… Something… There are not only two worlds, there’s also that world we fought Belial Vamdemon. What if…Hikari-san is there? But how will we ever open the gate to that place again?”

_Maybe, but you have to think again once more._

“… What if it’s an unknown world not explored before?”

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“… W-where am I?”

She awoke in the middle of nowhere, alone. Hikari had no idea what had happened previously, but she felt like someone had called her. However, the place didn’t look like the ‘Dark Ocean’ but it wasn’t like the Digital World either. The area she was at seemed empty and monotone. The solid grey ground, no wind nor water…

That place was engulfed by the darkness.

“Where’s this place?”

She asked from within herself, and a few minutes later aloud. But no answers, no sound. It was an eternal silence… Only her voice was heard, but no one to listen to.

The girl couldn’t do anything but get up and walk, search for that mysterious girl from the reflection and discover what was she doing in that desert.

A few steps later, Hikari finally saw something.  
Lights forming a chain, begging her to follow the queue to some place. She understood the message, and that was the only option for her at the moment.

Lonely, Hikari left to meet the unknown.

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“We’re riding for hours and nothing!” - Complained Daisuke - “Man, I expected this village to be a bit closer from Warlock’s home! Like, I dunno how many miles or kilometers, but a good distance!”

“Stop complaining” - Lighdramon pouted.

“Oh I’m sorry” - and Dai’s answer was bitter - “I’m not thinking about me being bored, but you being exhausted!”

“I’m not at all, thanks for caring about me.”

“I don’t think we will find Hikari-chan or Lia before the sun goes down, maybe we will need backup in the human world, you know.”

“Daisuke, do you think you can contact anyone from here?”

“Hold a sec, lemme try.”

Daisuke took his D-terminal and opened it, but no signal. It hadn’t worked before, why would it work now? Things could’ve been easier if his D-terminal could reach the others, INCLUDING Hikari. He could’ve solved the mystery, he could’ve found her and then could’ve gone looking for Lia to return to his world with Hikari afterwards.

But there is no easy journey.

“No way!”

“What’s wrong, Daisuke?”

“It’s not working… Maybe because this place is not like the Digital World right? Maybe because… It’s a different world, it lacks technology.”

“But you’re able to make me evolve here.”

“Strange isn’t it?”

“Well, all we know is that this world has digimon too. Remember Funbeemon? I don’t think it came from our Digital World…”

“Maybe…? Also this place looks like one of those games you’ve played before, what was its name…”

“It’s RPG, not a name but a genre. We’re like in a Fantasy RPG game, yeah. But this time I have no powers, just… This crystal necklace which I have no idea how will it help us.”

“Scientia Terra, Duskstella, Purezza… Those are the places we have to go, right?”

“Remember Warlock said? We’re in Scientia Terra.”

“Ah right…”

“But the crystal…” - Daisuke put the D-terminal on his pocket and grabbed the star - “It’s… Kinda… Familiar.”

Deep inside, the pendant attracted Daisuke’s attention and focus. It hypnotized him, disconnecting him from the world. A flash came in his mind, but he hardly could understand it. What was that? Why that star had been in that mysterious reflection of his and the ‘dark Daisuke’ from that blank world?

Why was it familiar to him…?

“DAISUKE!!”

Lighdramon’s roar awoke him from the land of thoughts, and he could feel him falling on the road, with Lighdramon in front of him. He also could feel something had happened. When he realized, Lighdramon was fighting a giant Flymon.

“What’s that thing?!” - Daisuke babbled.

“Didn’t you notice it before?!” - Vee grabbed him by the jacket and dodged another attack, putting Daisuke on the ground - “It appeared from nowhere! Right now! I need your help here!”

“Okay, let’s see… It’s big, fast and has dangerous attacks” - he mounted on Lighdramon’s back again - “My plan is… Run.”

“R-run?!”

“RUN NOW, GO GO GO!!”

Lighdramon dashed and fled from the big digimon, running as fast as he could go. Daisuke put the goggles on and kept watching the road, sometimes he glanced behind to see if the enemy were chasing them. And it was, oh it was. He gulped and kept praying, wishing Lighdramon to run even faster. But his partner is not a machine, Vee is organic and has limitations.

The next attack from Flymon was a frontal one, throwing its body like a bullet against them. Lighdramon tried to duck, but the airwave caused by the big monster pushed him and Daisuke fell from his back… Next it was Lighdramon. Dai remained on the ground since the digimon has returned, flying faster than before and causing more and more airwaves.

“Run!” – said Lighdramon - “I gonna keep it distracted!”

“Are you crazy?!” - Daisuke shouted - “It will beat you once you try to hit it!”

“Do you want to die?!”

“I don’t, but I don’t want you to die either!!”

Lighdramon tried to aim and shot a Blue Thunder from the spikes on his armor but it didn’t work either. The waves caused by Flymon made the battle harder, because Lighdramon hardly could get up. Daisuke was grabbing the floor, and being not so thankful for having his hands hurt by the attacks. He could feel the scratches and them burning every time Flymon flew against them.

“Daisuke, RUN!” - Lighdramon repeated - “Escape, please don’t let it get you!”

“I won’t leave you behind!” - But Daisuke was so stubborn and loyal.

Flymon flew in their direction again, with its stinger ready to hit them. But, a flash of blue light appeared in front Daisuke & Vee, wielding some kind of weapon, that they couldn’t identify at the moment, and preventing the enemy from approaching them.

_“I can’t let you die here, Motomiya Daisuke.”_

Daisuke glanced at the spectrum of light and realized it was the same ‘dark Daisuke’ from before. He pushed Flymon away and slashed it with the said weapon. The digimon cried and retreated, leaving the other three alone.

Then, Dai & Vee were able to notice the ‘dark Daisuke’ had a glaive in hands.

“You…” - Dai babbled in panic - “You’re the other-me from that blank place!”

 _“There’s no time to waste”_  - the other said, now looking at Daisuke and Vee -  _“Lia is in danger. I know you don’t like her, but I beg you, you need to find her before him!”_

“Who?” - asked Lighdramon

 _“Hurry!”_  - and then he vanished.

“Wait!!” - Daisuke called him but with no success - “Who’s after Lia? We aren’t the only ones looking for her?”

“He’s gone… Daisuke, who was that, why did he look like you?”

“I dunno, but maybe he’s the other-me from this world?”

“So we saw a spirit?”

“I think so” - he got up from the ground and mounted on Lighdramon - “We have to go, now. What if that Flymon come back? And we need to find Lia and Hikari-chan before whoever other-me mentioned.”

“Yosh. Hold tight, I gonna run as fast as I can go. Like the lightning.”

“Your name is Lighdramon, I’m sure you can do it” - he rolled his eyes.

“Oi, don’t tease me like that.”

“I’m just kidding, you’re like a little bro to me” - and he laughed - “Now run as the thunder, Lighdramon!”

They left, following the road. Although the place seemed consumed by the darkness, Daisuke’s light was shining like a shooting star, spreading that light in the place. Bringing hope to that world which once there was the balance between light and dark.


	3. The Village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Happy Holidays/New Year.  
> I've finished most chapters (4-8), I still need to finish 9 and start 10.  
> I also dunno but I think I have no reviwer/editor anymore...
> 
> If the quality gets bad and full of grammar mistakes, forgive me.
> 
> Also I want to finish this arc to start writing arc 3 before tri.'s last movie.

She kept following the queue of the lights, feeling like it could lead her to her destiny. Why was she there? Why was she summoned? Those questions appeared in Hikari’s mind every step given.

Wouldn’t the others be worried about her? Would they understand she’s not in the Dark Ocean but in a world where the light has vanished? A world which she believed to be some warm place, filled with good and virtue, but one day everything had changed and the light had left that world?

Why was she so sure that place wasn’t what she imagined?  
Maybe just assuming things so she can distract her mind and fear nothing.

Nothing to fear, nothing to run away from.  
She was alone after all, no one would come to hurt her.

Hikari seemed determined to reach the end of the chain, hoping to find some answers for her questions. And how to return home safely, to not worry her family and friends. Tailmon must be concerned at this moment, since she had no time to say anything. And her D-terminal wasn’t working there, she had no means to contact with the other Chosen Children. While she had some regrets caused by the past – like, refusing Daisuke’s invitation to go to the beach with him, and other things – she had faith she could fix those once she’s back to her own world.

If there’s something Hikari learned with Takeru and Daisuke was to have hope and never give up. The shadows may be scary but if you have light inside you, you can overcome everything.

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“I don’t think Hikari-san is in the Dark Ocean” - said Ken to Takeru via phone - “There’s that world where we fought Vamdemon at too.”

 _“No”_ \- Takeru responded -  _“There’s more than these worlds. We’ve discussed it before, while you were absent in our conversations. The question is, how could we open a gate to those other worlds and check where she is?”_

“That’s a good question.”

_“We will keep looking for her. Just don’t let Taichi-san know.”_

“By what I know about Yagami-san, he’s not that dumb to be fooled. He will discover it sooner or later.”

_“I know, but I don’t want him to fight me. And if he does it, my brother will fight for me. I don’t want them to have more of it. I don’t like fights, they remind me of… My parents’ fight when I was little.”_

Ken couldn’t understand Takeru by experience, but he could try to imagine how hard it’s to have divorced parents. At least Takeru and Yamato’s parents had a better relationship (by what it seems), though the past still haunts Takeru… And Yamato.

“I’m… I’m sorry for that.”

_“Until we discover where she is, I want to stay away from Taichi-san. So please, did you find something so far?”_

“… Not yet. But I will call you once I find something.”

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At the end of that day, Daisuke and Lighdramon arrived at the village. It was small and its people reminded Daisuke of videogame’s NPCs. There was a blacksmith, a shop and an inn. There was some kind of bar as well, and they decided to go there first.

Lighdramon returned to V-mon form and accompanied Daisuke by side. The villagers weren’t pleased with it though, they were scared of them and closed their windows and doors. Daisuke didn’t get it, but then he heard some of them call Vee by ‘monster’. Huh, how weird… Yes, V-mon is a monster but a friend. He won’t attack if you don’t attack him or Daisuke.

“Those people are right but wrong” - V-mon snorted - “Yes I am a monster, no I won’t destroy your homes. Geez, I thought this world had digimons too! Why are they scared?”

“Maybe because the digimon round here seem violent?” - Daisuke tried to guess the reason - “Or maybe they didn’t find any good digimon before.”

“Well I am a good digimon! I’m a hero, right?”

“Well, let’s ask for some information”

“Fine, but I gonna try to not feel insulted by those people.”

They opened the door of the bar, came in and closed it. Some people immediately quit after seeing V-mon, causing some discomfort to the poor digimon. But Daisuke kept ignoring the people’s reactions, Vee is a friend. And then he took the Digimon from the ground and carried him on his back, he didn’t care since he’s always riding on Vee’s back.

“Excuse me” - he said, after approaching from the bar counter and calling the barman - “can we ask you for some help?”

“I’m sorry, but the pet must stay outside” - replied the old man.

“V-mon isn’t a pet” - Daisuke said politely - “He’s my friend.”

“He’s scaring my customers” - the man stared at Daisuke - “We don’t allow monsters here, follow the rules.”

“We don’t want to stay, man! We just want to ask you if you’ve seen a girl with short hair named Lia. She’s missing and we’re looking for her.”

“I won’t answer anything until that thing get outta here!”

“I’m not a thing!” - Vee snorted - “What’s wrong with you, I’m not doing anything here!”

 _“I’m sorry for what happened”_  - a voice came behind Dai & Vee -  _“They’re with me, maybe they didn’t hear when I asked them to stay outside.”_

Daisuke frowned and looked behind him. He and V-mon saw a guy who looked like Yamato, except he wasn’t Ishida Yamato at all. The voice was familiar to Daisuke, sounded like Yamato’s voice as well, but the behavior was different. If Yamato were there, he would’ve fought the barman for being rude to his friends.

“Who are you?” - Daisuke knew the guy wasn’t the same person he knew, so what’s the point of calling that guy by Yamato?

“José,” - the barman glanced at the blond guy - “you know the rules, no monsters in the village. And those who’re allies to them deserve no hospitality.”

“J-José?!” - Vee and Dai babbled - “Wait… A-are you–”

“I know, I know” - and the other grabbed Daisuke by his arm - “It won’t happen again. See you another day. Oi, kid move on. We have to talk, now.”

Daisuke was confused.  
The ‘Yamato’ pulled him to the border of the village – the forest. There, he gave a serious gaze at the duo. Now he looked like Yamato, at least to them.

“Are you crazy, kid?!”

“José…?” - Daisuke blinked - “You mean, the black Weregarurumon from Warlock’s castle?!”

“It’s ‘Amis’ and yes, it’s me” - he snorted angrily.

“You look different from the usual” - Vee commented - “We didn’t know you can turn into a human!”

“But the guy there called you José and you didn’t correct him” - Daisuke was completely confused with that reveal - “I mean… You’re human now.”

“… It’s a long story. I’m actually different from them” - Amis looked away - “What are you doing here, kid?”

“It’s Daisuke.”

“Whatever.”

“If you don’t call me by my name, why should I call you by ‘Amis Lupe’ then?”

“FINE. What are you doing here, Daisuke?”

“Looking for Lia, and if we’re lucky, for my friend Hikari-chan too.”

“… Wait, what do you mean you’re looking for Lia?” - Amis gave him a concerned gaze - “Did something happen to her?!”

“Slow down,” - Dai said - “All we know is that she’s missing and, according to spooky-Daisuke-from-your-world, she’s in danger because someone is after her.”

“So that’s why you were looking for her?! Wait, Spooky-what?”

“We saw a ghost” - explained V-mon - “We know the Daisuke from this world is dead.”

“… I need to see Warlock right now” - he snapped his fingers and with a ‘poof’ he transformed in the black Weregarurumon.

“What are you talking about? Warlock kinda knew you were around so he asked me to say that he ordered you to help me find Lia and Hikari-chan.”

“I will, but first I have to talk to him about something important. And she didn’t come to the village, I could’ve noticed her presence.”

“Ok, not in the village” - Vee looked at Daisuke - “This means we have to cross the ocean and go to… Duskstella right?”

“She can’t go to Duskstella in a few minutes, it takes days if you go in a boat!”

“And flying?” - asked Dai - “Flying is easier, maybe she got some digimon to give her a ride.”

“Or magic” - Amis mused - “But only Warlock knows the hidden portals to go from Scientia Terra to other countries.”

“What if she knows?” - Vee questioned - “Maybe she saw it in the library.”

“If you can fly, you can go across the ocean in four to five hours” - he explained - “On a boat, if the day is good, will take two to three days.”

“OK, noted” - Daisuke nodded - “We will meet in Duskstella I guess? But… How do we know where’s Duskstella?”

“Duskstella is named after the form of the country, its shape resembles a star” - he added - “You will find it quickly.”

“Right” - they nodded - “A land with the shape of a star. Then we’re going!”

They and Amis went to opposite directions after a nod. Daisuke was sure he could meet Lia as soon as possible and then Hikari. Maybe Hikari was there too, if he had luck.

However, he felt something strange in that place… It was like he had been there before, but at the same time he didn’t. Daisuke couldn’t tell what was this feeling or if he could remember, just believing that he had dreamed with that place before.

They left.

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Hikari now was walking in some kind of garden, with beautiful flowers. Her touch was magical, coloring the grey-tone plans every step. It was like she was healing them just by passing by, but she wasn’t sure about it.

Suddenly, she heard a voice.

“It’s you…!” - Hikari exclaimed - “You’re the one who brought me here!”

And she approached the other girl, the one who looked like her but older. Hikari noticed the girl was sitting on the ground, admiring the flowers. What Hikari had heard was her chatting with them. How weird huh, but Yagami Hikari also liked to talk with inanimate objects, plants or animals.

They were alike.

“Un, excuse me?” - Hikari stopped behind Lia - “Where am I? Why did you bring me here…?”

“You must be the girl that the wanderer had mentioned” - she looked at Hikari - “I’m sorry for doing this, but I need your help.”

“My… help?”

“This world has its light stolen, only darkness reigns now. To save my world, I tried to bring him back, but I’ve been convinced to drop that idea. So, I decided to bring the light from another world… From the wanderer’s world. I don’t want to make you stay here forever, I just need a bit of your power to purify my world. A seed of light.”

“I… I don’t understand” - Hikari wasn’t sure if she could deliver what Lia’s asked for - “Who’s this wanderer?”

“I don’t remember his name now… But he was a kid who reminded me of my brother.”

By the logic, Hikari thought it was her brother, Taichi. Or someone whom resembled Taichi.

But does this mean Taichi had gone to that world before? A world corrupted by the darkness?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those 0s and 1s are not random, just saying.  
> Check the previous chapter's too.


	4. Road to Duskstella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written on Oct/2017, BEFORE tri.'s chapter 5: Kyosei/Coexistence/Symbiosis got released. And before its pre-screening in Japan too.  
> So yeah, some things sounds like a foreshadowing for this movie and it amuses me.

Daisuke rode on Lighdramon’s back, heading to the ocean. Knowing the enemies were strong and that Lia’s life was in danger, he had mixed feelings. The necklace was swaying in his neck, with the pendant following the wind. Vee on the other hand ran as fast as he could, ignoring the gloomy scenario.

But Daisuke, goggles on, could see it. That world was consumed by the darkness. Inside his heart, Daisuke also felt the negativity trying to swallow him… But his light was stronger than that. He had the power to stop it. He had to save Lia, Hikari and maybe that world.

If there’s a thing he was sure about it was…  
Motomiya Daisuke won’t turn his back on people who needs help.

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“Your brother…?” - Hikari played dumb.

“Yeah, he used to bring me flowers, used to make a nice meal, to sing a lullaby about the world… The light of this world was beautiful, warm and welcoming. But since he’s gone, everything changed. People changed, the world changed. It’s not the same anymore.”

“Are you saying… The loss of your brother caused this…?” - now she couldn’t resist but only to ask more questions - “But I can’t bring your brother back.”

“Oh no, silly girl” - Lia replied - “Pardon, I’m saying my brother was my world. What happened to the entire world, the one we’re living in right now, is… Well, a consequence of our acts.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry that I can’t make it less confusing” - Lia sighed - “This world got corrupted once he died. It was a consequence, a coincidence as well.”

“It makes no sense to me at all.”

“What would’ve happened if an important piece of a world’s machinery got lost? Or stolen? Or destroyed?”

“You mean… It caused an unbalance between the forces?”

“I’m bad at explanations, sorry” - Lia seemed upset with herself - “Warlock is way better at explaining things. We should go to his castle. There, we can explain to you what happened. But… I was afraid I had sent you to somewhere far away, so I had to look for you.”

“I see…”

“We’re not so much different from each other, are we?”

“I… I’d feel empty without my brother, he’s the nicest and strongest person I’ve known in my life. I think we’re a bit alike… I’m Yagami Hikari. I have the crest of light, but I don’t think how I can help you to heal your world.”

“Crest of Light…”

“Yes. And you? Who are you?”

“I’m Lia. I used to come here with my brother. I thought you could’ve been here and I was right. Hikari, right? Let’s work together to save this world, please!”

“I will do my best” - Hikari smiled.

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“We need to across the ocean” - Daisuke repeated - “Do you think that you have enough energy to do it as XV-mon?” - And asked V-mon once they had arrived at the bay. Lighdramon had changed back to V-mon form.

“I think Amis’ math was wrong. It seems to be more than that. Does he know math?”

“This is a mystical world, I don’t think logic and math work here” - Dai shrugged - “Afterall, I was being able to fight monsters by myself and had a flame on my left eye. And we saw a ghost. And we met people with our friends’ faces. Shall I continue?”

“That’s enough, but it makes no sense.”

“Maybe we should go back, find one of those portals and use it?”

“That’s the best solution. I’m unable to evolve to Imperialdramon without Stingmon, so it would take more than Amis’ estimated time.”

“I knew you would say it…” - he put his hands on his hips - “But we need to go there as fast as possible! So, let’s try to find a portal or something.”

“How do you expect to find a portal?”

“I dunno… I just have a feeling.”

“A feeling…?!”

“Yeah, nothing more than a feeling. I’m finding some stuff in this place strange enough to make me walk around and find a gate.”

“You think so…?” - V-mon replied with annoyance.

He was babbling nonsense as the usual. But he wasn’t kidding about the feeling that was the only thing V-mon could confirm thanks to Daisuke’s attitude. At this hour, Daisuke should’ve been yelling and kicking the beach’s sand and giving everyone a headache. But that wasn’t the case, he was calm and just babbling nonsense. Just that.

V-mon noticed he was walking from left to right, resting the chin on his hand, watching his steps, thinking… Was he plotting?

Vee tilted his head like a puppy.

“AHA!” - Daisuke exclaimed, making Vee jump.

“W-what?”

“This rock is different from any ordinary rock around!”

Vee fell on the sand, got up and screamed furiously:

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE PLOTTING SOMETHING, DAISUKE YOU IDIOT–”

“What?” - Dai seemed confused with Vee’s roar - “I’m telling you there’s something wrong here. This is not a rock, this is a boulder.”

“Quit babbling, we need to find Lia before something bad happens to her, remember?!”

He took the ‘rock’ from the sand and frowned. But V-mon couldn’t stand that anymore, that was plain dumb. Daisuke was clueless! Carefree! Simpleton–

“There’s something here.”

“H-Huh?”

Daisuke had found a little switch. He turned the switch on, and a gate appeared in front of them. V-mon couldn’t believe it… Daisuke had found a gate. Was that…  _Dumb luck_  or what?!

“Oh look, I found one of those gates!” - he smiled - “Maybe we’re lucky!” - and he grabbed V-mon, jumped on the gate and it closed behind them.

Travelling by the gate was weird, he didn’t feel anything and it was like he just went through a door. No problem.

“What, where are we?” - asked V-mon after Daisuke putting him on the ground - “Is this a forest?”

“I think so, you’re seeing trees too? Well, this means we’re in the forest, maybe we can keep moving on. Here, come V-mon” - and he started to explore the area.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“A hundred percent!”

“O-oi, wait for me!!” - And he ran after his partner.

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“I believe Hikari-san is in another world”

Everyone glanced at Ken, expressionless. Takeru opened his mouth to say something, but decided to give up. The other two just looked around and they wanted to tell the group that they hadn’t found Hikari in the places they had been searching at for her.

“Do you mean… The Dark Ocean?” - asked Miyako - “But… But didn’t we seal it? We can’t open a gate to–”

“I’m not sure either, but if she’s not here then she must be in the Digital World just like Motomiya-kun said” - Ken explained carefully - “He went to check there, so I guess we have to wait until he’s back.”

“… Daisuke-san hadn’t replied me yet” - said Iori - “I sent him a message while I was looking for Hikari-san… Maybe he hadn’t seen it.”

“Typical of him!” - Miyako crossed her arms - “He’s an airhead, maybe got too much focused on looking for her that he didn’t check his messages.”

“Miyako-san talks like if you were jealous” - Takeru rolled his eyes, and Miyako just stared at him.

“Jealous?! What do you mean?!”

“It was a joke, don’t get it wrong…!”

Ken took his D-terminal and started to write a message while Miyako was trying to defend herself. Iori just opened his D-terminal and checked if he had received a message from Daisuke. But no success. Then he noticed something.

And Ken too, as he hit the ‘send’ button.

“… It hadn’t sent?!”

“… Iori-kun, I can’t send a message to Motomiya-kun.”

Miyako stopped arguing just to look at Ken and Iori. Takeru did the same, frowning at their reaction.

“What…?” - said both Takeru and Miyako.

“I can’t send a message to him” - said Ken.

“Maybe it’s malfunctioning?” - wondered Iori - “But I had no success too! Did something happen to our D-Terminals?”

“I’ll try to send a message to him” - and the other two took then opened their devices, typed a message. When they hit ‘send’, an error occurred.

“I can’t send it either!” - exclaimed Miyako.

“What if his D-terminal’s battery ran out?” - Takeru questioned - “It can happen.”

“Hm… So we should go to the Digital World” - suggested Ken - “We can find him by using our digivices.”

“Ken-san is talking like a leader now” - Iori teased him.

“When Daisuke-kun isn’t around, we can count on his jogress partner” - Takeru smiled.

“I-I’m not a l-leader!” - Ken babbled, blushing - “T-the last time I took a leader role I… I caused a huge damage to the Digital World! I don’t want to be called by that, I’m sorry.”

“You’re not acting like the Kaiser, Ken-kun” - Miyako patted his back - “You’re doing what you think is right, and this time you’re right. Unless you become a tyrant leader, but I trust you.”

“S-so… A-as the leader I… I nominate you, Miyako-san, as the leader! You’re older than us so you should’ve been the one to lead us!”

“M-Me?! Then… I’ll accept it! Let’s go, guys! We’ve got a goggle boy to find.”

The other two chuckled, one because Miyako embraced that role without hesitation and the other just because he remembered when Taichi had nominated Koushiro to solve the Vamdemon’s Castle card puzzle.

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“Warlock!” - Amis invaded the living room to meet a mage and a warrior enjoying some tea and cookies - “Did you summon the kid from the other world to find Lia?!”

“Yes, I did” - and the other answered.

“Did you trick him?!”

“No, I didn’t. We – him and I – believe his friend named Hikari – a chosen of light – is in this world thanks to Lia. So he’s looking for both.”

“Hikari?”

“Exactly. He said her name means ‘light’. Lia said that she would bring light to this world. Do the math, Amis.”

“… I can’t believe she would put a stranger’s life in danger for this!”

“And she probably did” - he sipped his tea - “Will you stay for the tea time or will you go after sir Daisuke?”

“The boy can handle it by himself!” - Amis crossed his arms - “He also said Lia was in danger and that he had met… A ghost.”

Warlock got up from his chair and gave a serious gaze at the werewolf.

“Did sir Daisuke meet… a ghost? You meant…  _His_ spirit?”


	5. Condemnation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More five to end this arc.  
> I got the reviewed version of ch 9 & 10 done. Arc 3 is in progress.  
> I wrote this chapter **_before tri. Ch5: Coexistence release_** , so I had no idea some stuff would've been accurate.
> 
> Also kudos to you if you get which kind of music i've been listening to write this fic.  
> Not Vocaloid (unlike the original PT-BR version from 2010), but a game.  
> Welp, you will get it once you reach a certain scene where I can't believe I wrote this reference.

Warlock was astonished, because he hadn’t expected that. Daisuke meeting a “ghost”, but not an ordinary spirit… It was  _his_  spirit. Or that was what Warlock could deduce without Amis explaining any further about what Daisuke had exactly said to him.

“He said it was a ‘Spooky-Daisuke-of-this-world’, so I guess it’s  _him_  but I’m not sure…?”

“True, the similarities between both are incredible” - Warlock deduced - “I won’t say sir Daisuke and  _him_ are alike, but sir Daisuke has indeed an optimistic and brilliant aura.”

“The kid is ‘brilliant’? Pff, don’t make me laugh!”

“At least he’s way smarter than you are” - Flannery rolled her eyes - “to assume the spirit that he saw that looked like him was his other-self from this world…”

“Like if that meant something! I’d have thought the same if I were him!”

“Enough,” - Warlock clapped hands twice - “we have no time to waste. We can’t leave due to Lia’s spell and I’ve been trying to find out how to cancel it, but you’re free and can do this favor for us. Follow sir Daisuke and assist him, he might need your help if he finds obstacles in his journey.”

“Yes, master!”

“So, you think the edgy dog will do some difference?” - Flannery asked right after Amis leaving the living room - “Because I don’t know, it might not work as you planned…”

“I have faith that Amis and sir Daisuke can work together” - Warlock replied - “I understand your concern, but they have to learn to trust each other. And while we’re imprisoned here we can’t do that much but send Amis to help him.”

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“What happened to your world, Lia-san?” – asked Hikari, while both girls walked together down the road - “why there’s so much darkness?”

“My brother always helped people, he couldn’t turn his back on anyone who needed a hand. One day, we found a lady with a box and she incited him to open the box. Although my brother was a good person, he was too innocent for his age. He opened the box and then I saw terrible things coming out of it.”

“Your brother was the one who corrupted your world?”

“… My brother was tricked. But, by what Warlock explained to us, his pure heart created a barrier that shielded us from the corruption that was swallowing our world at a slow pace while he was alive. But now that he’s gone… It had been successfully corrupted my world.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. But is there any way to purify your world?”

“Warlock said my brother had to seal the darkness again, but without him… How can we do it? That’s why I thought… Maybe bringing the light of another world could help us to revert it…!”

“But stealing the light of another world is not a good idea, Lia-san…!”

“Not stealing, but borrowing it! Hikari, I’m sure you can help! But first we need to find Warlock. I did… Something bad, I need to fix it.”

“Who’s he? What does he look like?” - Hikari seemed more and more curious about Lia’s story.

“He’s a mage, a prodigy from Scientia Terra who decided to follow the wizardry rather than being a ruler. He’s the brother of Diomedes, who’s another brilliant man who followed the path of leadership. They’re princes from Scientia Terra.”

“Those make me feel like I’m inside a fairytale book” - Hikari smiled - “Are you from there too?”

“I’m from Duskstella, a star-shaped country. It used to be a land ruled by queens only, but the times have changed and there’s a king that’s not part of the Duskstella family’s lineage.”

“Is it the place we’re at now?”

“You will see, just follow me.”

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“We’re walking in circles now, Daisuke” - Vee complained, looking at his partner going too fast, having a different yet strange aura.

Was V-mon recognizing that attitude? A silent Daisuke walking in silence, without joking or rambling about something else? It was just him, Vee, talking and asking things. No answer from the boy, and that was making the poor digimon worried.

It had been there since they left the forest and started to walk on that empty dirt road.

“This star” - Daisuke finally spoke - “I feel there’s something familiar on it.”

“The star pendant?” - V-mon jumped right to the right side of the goggle boy - “Oh, that’s why you were quiet! Did you discover how it will guide us here?”

“No, but… The more I look at it, the more I start having flashbacks… It’s weird.”

“Weird?”

“I remember of… the spooky-Daisuke spirit we met. But would it be possible that this pendant is magical and I’m seeing memories from another person?”

“Memories… Oh, you think the star belonged to the Daisuke from this world? Not to Warlock’s?”

“We saw the same guy, right? Did you notice he had this same pendant?” - Daisuke showed the crystal to V-mon - “Warlock said it will guide us to this world, maybe… He meant the spooky-Daisuke will lead us here.”

“Eh?! Is it possible?!”

“I dunno… We gotta hurry– Huh?”

A silhouette appeared in the horizon, it looked like a boy with a hood and a weapon in hand.  
It looked like a scythe… Daisuke had a terrible feeling and then another flash came in his mind.

“Daisuke?” - V-mon frowned.

“I don’t know why, but if we meet that guy we will have a bad time…”

“We need to… go to another direction?” - Vee asked.

“Y-yeah…”

Daisuke’s courage disappeared. V-mon and him tried to take an alternate route, but they had to duck because the said scythe flew over their heads.

“What the heck, man?!” - Daisuke shouted - “This kiddo wants a fight? Well then, I have my fists and my feet, I can kick them in the FACE!”

_“I finally found you.”_

Daisuke couldn’t believe how fast that kid was! He was about to get up from the ground when he realized the scythe’s blade was pointing directly at his face! The unknown opponent also had a similar voice, someone Daisuke had weak bonds of friendship with.

“What…?!”

“I’ve been looking for you.” - the hooded boy said - “I thought  _you_  were dead, but now I see  _you_  survived!”

“Whoa, man!” - Daisuke got up from the ground, and gently pushed the scythe blade away from him - “I have no idea what you’re talking about! It must be a misunderstanding, I’m not from here, I was kidnapped from my world to look for a girl who looks like my friend who probably kidnapped my friend who looks like this girl!”

“That’s confusing” - V-mon commented, then did a quick a headbutt on the attacker, who fell down and dropped the scythe.

“Nice move, V-mon!” - Daisuke commemorated, then tried to run, but the attacker grabbed his ankle, dropping him on the road - “H-hey, let me go! You creep!”

“I won’t let  _you_ escape,” - the hooded boy said - “I’ll finish my job this time!”

“Wait a second– A-are you the killer who killed the spooky-Daisuke?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” - Vee snorted - “Let Daisuke go!”

“Do not interfere, blue creature! I will erase all the Duskstellas!”

“D-Duskstellas?! You mean, the country?” - asked an innocent V-mon.

“Vee, do something and stop asking questions!” - Daisuke was about to lose his head (literally) since the opponent had the scythe pointing at his head.

V-mon realized another quick headbutt attack and knocked the hooded boy down, allowing Daisuke to dodge, get up and stop behind Vee. When the boy sat up on the ground, he had his hood down, revealing his face to the duo.

Daisuke blinked.

“Ta-Takeru?!” - said both Daisuke & Vee.

“My name is…” - the attacker said, grabbing the weapon and getting up from the ground.  
“BONIFACE!” - he shouted and tried to hit them with the blade, but they dodged in time.

“Oh wow, he’s not Takeru…! Thank you” - Daisuke sighed relieved.

“WHY ARE YOU SO RELIEVED THAT HE’S NOT TAKERU?!” - Vee roared - “HE’S ABOUT TO KILL US!”

“You’re right– V-mon, evolve!!”

**_V-mon evolve! XV-mon!!_ **

“Interesting” - Boniface smirked - “ _You_  can evolve the monsters now? What happened to  _your_ power?”

Daisuke climbed XV-mon’s back and sat on his shoulder.

“That’s my power, kiddo!” - the goggle boy replied - “Now what are you gonna do?!”

“Don’t taunt him, idiot!” - hissed Vee. But it was too late, Boniface threw the scythe again and XV-mon had to fly to the left - “See?! He won’t stop!”

“I am  _your_  condemnation” - Boniface had a serious and eerie voice, it caused Daisuke to feel the biggest fear he had felt in his life - “And  _your_ story ends here, Duskstella!”

“I ain’t Duskstella” - yelled Daisuke - “You got the wrong guy to kill, kiddo!”

XV-mon dodged again once he noticed the scythe flying in their direction, but he couldn’t fight a human right? A digimon’s power is too much strong, it could hurt or even kill Boniface.

“I can’t fight him” - Vee whispered to Daisuke - “Maybe we should flee.”

“I doubt he won’t chase us” - the Chosen Child shrugged - “Fine, do your magic trick, XV-mon.”

XV-mon nodded, took Daisuke from his shoulder and held his partner with his hands, then flew as fast as possible from there, leaving Boniface on the dirt road.

“It doesn’t matter,” - Boniface vowed, watching his victims disappearing in the sky - “I’ll find  _you_  and her and you two will have a tragic end.”

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“Daisuke!”  
“Daisuke-san!”  
“Daisuke-kun!”  
“Motomiya-kun!”

A chorus of Daisukes and Motomiyas had been heard around the Digital World. The four had been looking everywhere and had no success.

Daisuke had disappeared.  
Another Chosen Child had vanished without leaving any traces.

Also no signal of Hikari, which made Takeru nervous about the idea that they had to open the gate to the Dark Ocean as soon as possible. Ken disliked that idea, but he was running out of options too. He wanted to assume she and Daisuke weren’t in the Dark Ocean, and wanted to assure the others about this information.

But he had no clues.

“I can’t believe it!” - Miyako pouted, crossed her arms and complained - “Daisuke is not here! Where did he go?! Now we have to look for him too!”

“Calm down, we will find them” - Takeru was chill outside, but inside he was panicked.

“Does it mean they’re in the Dark Ocean?” - Iori asked.

“I don’t know,” - Miyako answered - “I think we should–”

“I won’t open the dark gate!” - shouted Ken, grabbing his hair - “I won’t open it, don’t force me to do it! I can’t let Daemon escape, we must look for them in another place but NOT THERE!”

Miyako felt totally horrible for him, Iori just apologized and tried to calm Ken down but things weren’t helping at all. Also, her being the leader was hard! What could she do at this hour?!

“HOLD ON!”

Ken stopped babbling, Iori to apologize and all boys glanced at her.

“I’m sorry, we won’t open the dark gate. It’s okay, Ken-kun. We won’t force you to do it, so stop panicking and let’s try somewhere else!”

“I don’t want them to be there as well” – Takeru glanced at the ground with a slight frown on his face - “I don’t want to go there and possibly face Daemon.”

“Takeru-kun” - Ken looked at the other, while Iori and Miyako were silent.

“Aaaaa– I’m a bad leader!” - Miyako cried - “I’m sorry I can’t take this role! Iori, you’re the leader now!”

“M-Me?!” - Iori gasped.

“Now, Iori-sama” - Miyako smiled at Iori - “What should we do? We can’t force Ken-kun to open the dark gate. What are our other options?”

Iori felt pressured with Miyako, Takeru and Ken looking at him.

“I… I think…” - Iori babbled - “We should ask the digimon if they had seen them or if something s-supicious happened.”

“Okay!” - Miyako pointed to the skies - “Let’s do what Iori-sama had said! Chosen Children, let’s roll!!”

“M-Miyako-san…” - Iori sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 0s and 1s has some things to say too. You should check them out.


	6. Talking Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just 4 to complete this story.  
> Also now that we reached this chapter, I'll reveal a trivia:
> 
> The Original version of this fic was supposed to be a mix of Vocaloid content: Black Rock Shooter (the OVA) and Daughter/Servant of Evil (The songs). I was a teen that time, so I imagined the two songs in a Digimon scenario, but I only based me on these TWO songs. I never ever finished listening to the whole series. I had inspiration on BRS to make the world building and the counterparts. Even there's a scene based on the end of the OVA.
> 
> This time I decided to do my best to make it less based on the songs and the OVA, but trying to not damage the core of the original version of _Lady of the Castle_.

After flying for hours, the Daisuke & Vee duo reached the entrance of Duskstella.  
Now, with Vee in V-mon form again, the two wanderers were at the first village they had seen.

“We finally found a place to stay!” - Daisuke was relieved yet hungry - “Come, V-mon.”

They saw a peculiar kid going to a house, but it was weird…  
The kid had a hump that… didn’t look like a hump. It seemed that the kid’s coat was covering something. And the kid’s ears were strange…?? They looked like…

“Armadimon?”

Daisuke found it odd that the house was far away from the village, it was almost on the dirt road where they had left Boniface behind.  
But Motomiya Daisuke is a curious kid. And curiosity was what moved his feet, causing him to walk towards the kid’s house. Then he and V-mon stopped in front of the door, the blue digimon questioning Daisuke’s actions again.

_Something told me to go and I went._

That’s all he could say to justify his attitude.

“Won’t we scare the kid?!” - muttered V-mon.

“We won’t know if we don’t try!” - Daisuke answered and then knocked on the door.

When the door opened, Daisuke tilted his head when he saw the kid.  
Yes, it had Armadimon’s carapace and ears, but his body and face were human-like.  
And this human’s face looked like…

“What the?!I-Iori?!”

“I’m sorry but my name is not Iori” - the kid answered - “A-and I can’t let a-anyone see me like th-this!” - he tried to close the door, but Daisuke held it.

“No?! Wait!” - the goggle boy said - “I’m not from here, don’t worry! C-can we talk? I mean, let us in. We’re just traveling and have no place to stay.”

“Are you wanderers?” - he blinked - “O-okay, come in quickly, if the villagers see me like this, I’ll be banished from the village.”

Daisuke and V-mon obeyed, entering in the house. The kid closed the door once they were in and locked it. The windows were closed, the place was illuminated by magical light bulbs, questioning Daisuke’s assumption about that world having no technology. Maybe it had, but… everything worked with magic?

“Thank you, Iori!” - said V-mon, smiling to the kid.

“My name’s Zuzen” - he answered - “I’m not Iori, sorry.”

“It’s okay, you look like a friend of ours” - said Daisuke - “My name is Daisuke and this is V-mon, we’re from another world.”

“A-another world?!” - Zuzen gasped - “Is there another worlds, like the Scentia Tera’s philosophers theorized?!”

“Yes, and this is still new to me,” - Daisuke gave a nervous laugh, and put his hand behind his head - “I’ve been in another world before, but this one is totally new to me.”

“How did you come here? What are you doing in this world? Why are you traveling with a monster? What brought you to Duskstella? How’s your world?”

Yes, the kid was very Iori-y to him.

“Can we talk about it while we’re eating?” - Vee asked.

“V-mon!!”

“A-ah I’m sorry I’m just hungry…!”

“Oh, it’s okay” - Zuzen smiled - “It was rude of my part for not offering anything to eat.”

With a table full of cookies, tea and bread, both V-mon and Daisuke filled their stomachs while answering all Zuzen’s questions.

“A wizard summoned me here” - Daisuke began - “to look for a girl who probably kidnapped my friend who looks like her. V-mon is my digimon partner, we’re friends and we fight evil guys together in our world. And my world is… Advanced? It has no magic though, or that’s what we believe. A masked magician kinda revealed the tricks in our world, and it was something… Interesting?”

“Your world has no magic?” - Zuzen frowned.

“Uh… We have the magic of the technology. Computers, phones, TVs, radios, refrigerators, microwaves… Machines that help our lives.”

“Wow, I dunno what are those but… I’d love to see them.”

“I have one here” - he took his D-terminal from his pocket and showed it to Zuzen - “Sadly, it’s not working. This is a D-terminal, we – my friends and I – use to communicate with each other. It sends text messages, but it can store Digimentals and show a map of the Digital World.”

“Fascinating! Excuse me, but what’s Digital World?”

 _It will be a long, long night…_  
But Daisuke wasn’t bothered to answer a million of questions, especially when this kid seemed curious about him, his world and the Digital World.

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Hikari was sleepy, at least she and Lia had found some tasty fruits in the forest.  
The fact of Lia being a witch didn’t scare her, rather she felt she was lucky. The more she heard about Lia and that world, the more Hikari could pity them… and desire to help them fix it.

“Were you always a witch?” - Hikari gently asked - “You know many spells, Lia-san.”

“I wasn’t a witch” - the other responded - “I learned magic from Warlock, and from his castle’s library. I don’t know that much though…”

“I’m relieved that it was you who called me this time” - she confessed - “I was afraid that this world was the Dark Ocean’s. And that Daemon had been luring me to open the dark gate.”

“Daemon? Dark Ocean’s world?” - Lia seemed confused.

“The world of darkness” - she explained - “A place where there’s no light, where lives a creature who wanted to make me their bride. It was… terrifying. Another person had been lured to that world as well, and he was the one who could open and close the dark gate. Lately, we had no more connection with that world and we had sealed an enemy there.”

“A world of darkness… I… I wouldn’t want to go to a world like this one you mentioned as well. That’s why I want to heal my world.”

“I want to help you, Lia-san! Because I can’t turn my back on you and your world. If I was able to save the Digital World twice, I’m sure I can save yours too. But… I had help to do it. I had my friends on my side. I’m not sure if I can do it by myself, I’m afraid.”

“It’s okay. You’re not alone” - Lia smiled - “I’m sure we can do it together, with my friends’ help. My brother cannot help anymore, but he would’ve wanted to save his world too.”

“I wish I could’ve met him” - Hikari smiled back - “By what you told me, I believe he was a good person.”

And she was still picturing Taichi, deducing her brother was the Taichi of Lia’s world.

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“Aah we didn’t find them!” - Miyako cried - “And it’s almost dinner, we need to go home!”

“We can look for them tomorrow” - suggested Takeru - “The Digital World is a big world, we can ask Tentomon and the others to keep looking for them.”

“But how will I return to home without Hikari?” - Tailmon slightly frowned - “Taichi will find it odd, maybe I should stay here and keep searching for them.”

“You know, V-mon disappeared too” - commented Patamon - “Maybe they went to look for Hikari in another place.”

“Or they went home, dagya”

“But Daisuke-san wouldn’t hide it from us” - Hawkmon disagreed - “He should’ve told us beforehand.”

“What should we do, Iori-sama?” - Miyako asked.

“C-could you stop calling me like this, Miyako-san?” - Iori kept feeling pressured by Miyako.

“We’re just waiting for your next orders” –Takeru said jokingly.

“I… I didn’t ask to be the leader in the first p-place…!”

“Guys, take it easy” - Ken interrupted them - “Iori-kun may be mature but he’s still just the youngest of us.”

“Exactly! T-Takeru-san, can you be the leader now, please?”

“M-me?!”

“What’s the order, captain Takeru?” - teased Miyako; Ken laughed.

“I… L-let’s go home” - Takeru babbled - “It’s almost dinner, right? We can leave the digimon here so they can keep searching for Daisuke-kun and Hikari-chan.”

“That’s a good idea, dagya. Don’t worry about us, we will contact you as soon as possible!”

“Right,” - Ken smiled at the digimons - “we’re counting on you.”

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At daybreak, Daisuke and V-mon were having breakfast with Zuzen and chatting about some things. Some stuff told by the boy had Daisuke’s curiosity and how things weren’t that different from his world. Zuzen and Iori seemed identical when it comes to personality, and then Daisuke asked:

“You said you can’t be seen by the villagers, is it okay to ask why?”

Zuzen remained in silence after that question. But then he sighed and began:

“Because I’m different from the others. I’m an orphan and a half-monster. The villagers of Duskstella discriminates the monsters, so I was bullied a lot until I moved to this house, far away from the village.”

“Bullied…”

“Since then, I have to hide my shell and my ears when I go to the town. I’m very scared of going there without my cape.”

“Okay,” - Daisuke got up from the chair - “I’m gonna talk with them all. You’re not a monster, you’re a nice person. Even if you have monster traces, you’re not here to be bullied!”

“B-but–”

“No butts! I’ll talk to the mayor!”

“You mean the king??” - Zuzen gasped - “W-well, it’s said that he’s a good ruler but… Even the king wouldn’t change the people’s minds.”

“I gonna try anyway. If we don’t try, how can we be sure it won’t work?”

“Daisuke is the super duper optimistic guy here” - V-mon said - “There’s no way he will turn his back on you!”

“T-thanks… But… We just met a-and…”

“Consider it my way to pay for your kindness, Zuzen” - Daisuke smiled.

Daisuke left the house with V-mon proceeding to the town. During their journey on the outskirts, lots of houses were closing their doors and windows… All of them scared of V-mon.

The Blue digimon felt sad because of it.

But when they arrived in the town… They weren’t fleeing from V-mon anymore. Many people were glancing at Daisuke and whispering things, horrible things. The sky began to be covered by clouds. It was about to rain, but all the attention was on Daisuke. No one cared if it were going to rain or not.  
They pointed at the goggle boy in fear, screaming words, some of them even tried to throw stuff at him while V-mon was quickly catching and dropping them on the ground.

 _Get away from here!_  
You won’t trick us again!  
Why are you still here?!

Daisuke was feeling strange inside.  
Vee could notice it.

The boy stopped and let them keep attacking and calling him by awful names, he clenched his fists and then screamed with all his rage:

“COME AT ME, YOU COWARDS!”

V-mon was in awe, not understanding what just happened. Daisuke never had been that angry before, and he was sure that his human partner didn’t look the same.  
It started to rain, people left and ran away from it. But more doors and windows were closing at them, with a Motomiya Daisuke confused between his own emotions and those reactions.  _Why did I feel so angry from sudden,_ Daisuke thought.

“They weren’t hiding from you” - Daisuke glanced at V-mon, he was sad - “they were hiding from me.”

“B-But why?” - V-mon failed to understand it.

Suddenly, a carriage with white horses stopped in front of them. Daisuke turned his head to the carriage and then saw the silhouette of someone inside, said shadow had the format of…

“… Taichi-senpai?”

A guy who looked like Taichi gazed outside and gasped. Then he immediately opened the door and told them to come in. Another person inside, this one looking like Jou, was being silent, perhaps judging the ‘Taichi guy’. Daisuke and Vee then saw that the ‘Taichi’ had a gold tiara.  _He must be the said king…?_

“Um…” - Daisuke scratched his head - “Thank you? Also, aren’t you scared of us?”

“Not a chance, kid!” - the king replied - “You reminded me of someone… A friend I had a long time ago. But  _he_  is gone now.”

“Oh you mean the spooky-Daisuke ghost?” - asked V-mon.

“Uh, a ghost?” - the ‘Jou guy’ babbled, trying to keep calm, but not successfully on the inside.

“It’s okay, Jason” - the king said, then turned his attention back to V-mon - “A ghost? I never saw the ghost of  _him_ before. Also my name’s Helios. And you two are…?”

“Daisuke”  
“V-mon, nice to meet’cha.”

“Haha, I mistook you with a person I admire so much in my world” - Daisuke seemed nervous - “I mean, your majesty look like a friend of mine”

“No need to be formal, Daisuke” - Helios chuckled - “I’m only the king when I’m at the throne.”

“Actually, your majesty, you’re always the king” - Jason corrected him.

“And you two really look like people from my world” - the goggle boy commented.

“This is Jason” - Helios introduced the other - “He’s my royal advisor and minister.”

“Are you sure this kid is not  _him_ , your majesty?” - Jason whispered to Helios.

“I’m not the Daisuke of this world, okay?” - Daisuke shouted - “Also, where are we going, Helios-san?”

“To the palace” - he answered - “I was returning when I saw people attacking you, so I asked to return and then they all fled. And I couldn’t let you to catch a flu” - and chuckled.

“But why are they scared of us?” - V-mon was curious.

“We can talk about it when we’re inside, yes?” - Helios dropped that smile and gave a serious response to Vee.

“Sure, your majesty!”

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The palace was shining, it had lots of sun-shaped objects, sun stamps and some stars as well. V-mon and Helios were chatting, while Daisuke felt distracted with the place, passing through corridors and getting a bit distant from the other three.

 _“Can we eat?”_  
_“Haha, sure V-mon. Jason, are you hungry too?”_  
 _“No but thanks for the offer, your majesty.”_

Their voices were fading away with every step given by him.  
But… Why? Why was he so charmed by that place? Another flash came to his mind and he was sure that the star was responsible for guiding him to that corridor. He saw portraits of Helios, paintings and more sun stamps on the carpet.

“What’s going on, I feel like I’ve been here before” - he commented with himself - “It’s like… M-maybe the star is giving me memories from the spooky-Daisuke-of-this-world?”

The keyword is  _maybe._

Daisuke has passed by a mirror and he felt like something odd had happened. He returned and glanced at his own reflection.

“What the?!”

_It wasn’t his own reflection._

“What? Am I seeing things?” - he blinked while shaken - “You look like me, but your clothes are not like mine.”

True, the reflection had a navy blue blazer, under it a blue-purplish waistcoat with a white shirt, a cyan ascot tie, grey pants and the same star-shaped crystal pendant on his neck. Not to mention that the color of his eyes were orange-ish, hair a bit brown-ish and a skin tan almost identical to Daisuke’s.

“But I like that blazer” - Daisuke commented with himself - “It’s blue and I like blue shades! I’d have loved to wear it.”

_“Thank you, Motomiya Daisuke, but I don’t think it would suit you well.”_

That voice made Daisuke jump in surprise, terrified. He looked around and no one was there. He was alone! So where did that voice–

_“Look, I’m in front of you”_

“T-the mirror?!”

Daisuke looked again to the mirror and realized that the reflection wasn’t copying his movements anymore. It was like a screen. The voice came right from there!!

“You… T-talked?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the way.  
> The 0s and 1s have secret messages inside!


	7. The Story of Duskstella's Ruin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just 3 to complete this story.
> 
> The Original version of this fic was supposed to be a mix of Vocaloid content: Black Rock Shooter (the OVA) and Daughter/Servant of Evil (The songs). I was a teen that time, so I imagined the two songs in a Digimon scenario, but I only based me on these TWO songs. I never ever finished listening to the whole series. I had inspiration on BRS to make the world building and the counterparts. Even there's a scene based on the end of the OVA.
> 
> This time I decided to do my best to make it less based on the songs and the OVA, but trying to not damage the core of the original version of _Lady of the Castle_.

The mysterious reflection had spoken and Daisuke felt completely petrified with it. It wasn’t his imagination because the reflection was  _smiling_  and  _moving_ while he was still in shock. What a strange mirror, perhaps it’s haunted or it’s possibly magical.

_“Oh, I’m sorry for scaring you like that. It wasn’t my intention.”_

“A-are you real?!” - Daisuke carefully approached and touched the glass, yet nothing happened - “Am I seeing things? Can you REALLY talk?!”

 _“It’s not the mirror itself, Motomiya Daisuke”_ \- the reflection responded -  _“But this is the only way I can talk to you. Strange way I must say, but we need to talk.”_

“O-okay, you’re freaking me out here!” - he babbled - “Y-you look like me, and your voice is similar to mine, don’t tell me–”

_“Yes, I saved you and your monster partner’s lives. And I’m the one who told you that Warlock, Flannery, Amis and Lia are not your enemies.”_

“OI, a-are you saying you and the spooky-Daisuke-from-this-world are the same?!”

_“It’s funny how you call me. But we never were presented properly, but I do know you.”_

“While I do not know ANYTHING about you besides that your death changed Lia. And she kidnapped Hikari-chan! Or that’s what I hope so.”

_“You don’t know anything about me, I’m a mystery. You’re here for a reason, you have to fathom this reason by yourself. However, I can and will tell you my story.”_

“Man, you and I are different. I don’t talk like this! I don’t even dress up like this?! And let me start the questions: Who’s after Lia? What did you do to those people mistaken me with you and threw tomatoes, rocks and whatever they had in hands at me?! It can’t be something good, because…–”

_“I admit, I wasn’t a good person. But there’s no living being purely good or solely evil. A human has flaws and traits, a monster too. You and I aren’t that different, Motomiya Daisuke, because our essence is the same.”_

“Quit talking funny and answer me!”

_“I’ll give you a brief of my story, pay attention and please do not jump to conclusions that fast. Some events might make you hate me, but I believe your judgment will change once we’re done with the storytelling.”_

“Okay, let me get a chair or sit on the ground, probably hearing you talking will be boring.”

_“Hear? No, no. I can show you.”_

“Show me? How— EEEH?!”

The reflection disappeared and then the mirror started to reveal a picture. It was like watching TV, with sound and color, but it had the nonchalant ‘Spooky-Daisuke’ as the narrator.

_“First of all, this country was always governed by queens from the royal family. Every son was banished from the palace until the actual queen had a daughter. You can ask me, yes, I was a wretched son in the eyes of the royal council, but my mother loved me enough to break the rules and keep me until she had my sister.”_

The actual picture manifested by the mirror was two kids playing together. Daisuke was lost of words, but those kids looked like the ‘Spooky-Daisuke’ and…

“Lia? You’re Lia’s brother?”

_“Exactly. Lia’s my little sister. We grew up together and one day we encountered a woman with a box in hands. She asked me to help her and I couldn’t turn my back on her. Lia didn’t want me to help her, but it was too late. She told me to open the box since she was too weak to open it. I, innocently, opened the box and released the darkness in this world.”_

“So that’s why this world looks like so eerie and dark…?”

_“Yes, Motomiya Daisuke. But for an unknown reason, my heart was too pure, enough to slow down the corruption of this world. The darkness in this world is like a plague, it corrupts and turns you vile. Lia and I grew up until the day the court were going to banish me from my own home, and they were going to start training Lia to assume the throne in a not so distant future.”_

“What?! They were going to banish you out?!”

_“I don’t blame them, it was a tradition. Do not mind them, Motomiya Daisuke, they feared that a king ruling this country would’ve been a disaster. Well, it technically was… But I’ll tell you soon, just allow me explain what happened next.”_

_“The queen died and then the council decided to banish and ‘get rid of’ me. But I escaped thanks to a servant of mine named Helios, who let me live with him and his roommate, Sienna. We had a good time together, I must admit it.”_

The mirror showed a picture of Helios and a lady that looked like Sora, with Spooky-Daisuke bonding with them.

“W-wait, Helios wasn’t a prince? He was… A servant?!”

_“He was, and he also was the one who later aided me to get a job to help paying the taxes. So I used to sell some cooking before working in the kitchen of the palace.”_

“Oh so you liked to cook? Suddenly I’m feeling like we have something in common…”

_“Lia become the next ruler. She was young. Her first order was to disband the actual coucil and then… She promoted Helios and I. However, she had changed and became corrupted. Her innocence disappeared and she was a bad ruler, she caused this country to have the worst reign ever.”_

“But…All of this because of the corruption?”

_“Exactly. She executed a lot of innocents, one of them being Sienna’s boyfriend, Hariki. But this wasn’t the worst, Motomiya Daisuke. Let me give you another clue about my world: The neighbor country is called Purezza, it was founded by immigrants from Scentia Terra who decided to dedicate their lives to the art. Those lands belonged to Duskstella, and the prior rulers donated them to those immigrants, as their way to seal an alliance.”_

“But that’s good, what’s wrong about it?”

_“… Lia was greedy and wanted to take it back, alleging that those were stolen from us. Meanwhile I went to Purezza in an attempt to save the relationship between our kingdoms. I must say… I met the queen Fiorella of Purezza, and I fell in love with her. She was young, probably two years of difference from me… But Lia hadn’t accepted it. Once I returned, she gave me an ultimatum: Attack Purezza and overthrown their queen.”_

“Don’t tell me you did it.”

_“… There is where I say your judgment will come in action, because I was a fool and a loyal follower. I’ve promised my mother I’d protect Lia and stay by her side forever. But I’m sure my mother wouldn’t forgive me for what I did.”_

“And you did the thing. Attacked the other country” - Daisuke sounded very impatient and bitter now - “Way to go, knucklehead.”

 _“I won’t defend myself because you’re right, I did it. I undertook it for loyalty and… I also did the most horrible act that I hate to tell you about”_ \- the image in the mirror exhibited  _him_ being with a girl that resembled Mimi, kissing each other, subsequently  _him_ with a knife on her back -  _“I regretted it every single day. I am still full of regret.”_

“What? No no no no NO, you can’t be serious!” - Daisuke was glancing at the pictures - “You… You did that?! You killed her?! You killed her because of your sister?! What was WRONG with you, man?!”

_“I know, I’ve questioned it before. Helios called Lia out for it, and the whole attack generated a rebellion, led by Sienna… Who was fed up of Lia’s tyranny. Scientia Terra and other countries also repudiated Lia’s act and undid all the alliances with Duskstella. The rebellion begun to gain traction, allies and followers marched towards the palace. I couldn’t let Lia get caught, so… I had a brilliant plan.”_

“You ain’t modest, your royal highness” - Dai replied sarcastically.

_“Your sense of humor amazes me. My plan was ready to be executed, so I told every servant, Helios and Lia to escape. When the rebels invaded the throne room, they found me there, sitting and waiting for them. I explained to them that I was the evil king who planned it all, that I used my sister to accomplish my revenge.”_

“Oh no, you’re a liar you should’ve—”

_“I wanted to pay for my crimes. But Sienna didn’t believe in my lies, and tried to negotiate with the rebellion to stay out of this. But I insisted, and they accepted my story. It was going all according to my plan, and I hoped that Lia and Helios were far far away from there being safe. They threw me in a dungeon, where I heard that they were about to execute me in the morning.”_

“Okay, this is getting really long and I’m… I’m sure Helios-san, Jason-san and V-mon will notice I’m not with them so–”

_“I was executed, Motomiya Daisuke. But, at the same time I decamped. Because Warlock appeared and saved me, fooling the people – including Sienna, Helios and Lia – with his sorcery. Then, he brought me to Scientia Terra where he elucidated to me what was happening to this world. There, I learned about the Pandora’s Box and how to save the world. I had to seal the darkness inside the box to save our world.”_

“And you didn’t… Because you died before you accomplished your mission, right?”

 _“Exact. For this mission I had to assimilate magic, and I did. I spent days reading books, practicing spells… I changed my appearance to keep my identity safe and got a new name –_ Dai – _given by Warlock and he said it came from the word_ ‘dei’ _in old Celtic. It means_ ‘to shine’  _and it was because Warlock was pretty impressed with my progress. But… It wasn’t enough.”_

“Haha, Dai?” - the goggle boy smiled - “suits you, Spooky-me.”

_“I met a girl during that time and she told me Lia was safe… Then, we planned a way to bring Lia to Scientia Terra. Warlock didn’t mind either… When I had my sister with me again, I felt livelier. Warlock taught her some spells too, she became friends with Flannery and Amis, and we had a great life. When I was ready to leave in my journey to fight the darkness and purify our world… It happened.”_

“… The day you died?”

 _He_  nodded.

_“The hooded boy, same age as Lia, Warlock and me, appeared and tried to kill Lia. But I… pushed her away and…”_

“He killed you.”

_“Just like Warlock explained, the skies became darker as they grew gloomier… The barrier undid at the moment I died. The world got successfully corrupted, and I can’t do anything but observe it. You won’t believe me, but you’re our only hope now.”_

“Why? Why me? Ain’t I supposed to find Lia and save her from the… Uh…Boniface?! Hey, answer me!”

_“I’m sorry, I can’t say more. It’s your job to figure it out.”_

“Oi…!! Come on, man! Dai, isn’t it? Come on Dai!”

The mirror’s reflection disappeared as Daisuke felt a hand on his shoulder. When he laid his eyes on whose hand was it, he saw Helios.

“Are you okay, Daisuke? You missed the tea.”

“O-oh! Tea?? I’m sorry!” - Daisuke gave a nervous laugh - “I got distracted with this place! It’s pretty and big!”

“It’s not the hour to keep playing around!” - V-mon, who was with Helios, hissed - “We need to find Lia and Hikari before Boniface!”

“Oh right! Yeah, we gotta go. Bye bye, Helios-san. Thank you for the ride!”

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“Did you find something?” - asked Takeru to the digimon, after them meeting with their partners in the Digital World.

“Nothing” - Tailmon answered - We asked almost everyone and they hadn’t seen Hikari, Daisuke or V-mon.”

“That’s bad news…” - Miyako was losing her hope - “What should we do now? We looked for them everywhere and no signal. Maybe they are–”

“I won’t open it” - Ken reminded them about his decision.

“Okay, we won’t force you” - Takeru assured him.

 _“Hey, come here!!”_  – screamed Patamon - _“I found someone who saw Daisuke and V-mon!”_

Everyone looked at each other and then followed the digimon. When they found Patamon, they saw a bee-like monster chatting with him and Wormmon.

“Do you know where Daisuke-kun is??”

“Funbeemon knows” - Patamon waved his hand, then looked at the other digimon - “Tell them, Funbeemon!”

“I met a Daisuke and a V-mon once, they were sent to another world’s castle I was trapped at for a while”

“Another world?!” - the others (except Patamon and Wormmon) exclaimed.

“So there’s another world?” - Miyako questioned - “What should we do? How will we go there?”

Everyone looked at Takeru, who felt the pressure building in. Oh no, they are asking for a solution… He has no idea how to solve this, how to open a gate to another world and then go there. Also,  _what_  world is this? They need to find Hikari as well.

“Ta-ke-ru-kun~”

Miyako was definitely having her revenge over the last day’s commentaries.

“Miyako-san” - Ken and Iori sighed.

“I have no idea what we should do!!” - Takeru babbled - “I’m sorry, I can’t be a good leader.”

“Everyone is hopeless without Daisuke-san to guide us” - Iori muttered.

“Indeed” - Ken nodded in agreement with Iori.

“Ken-kun, you should try” - Takeru talked to him - “Because you hadn’t tried, maybe you can do something. You know how Daisuke-kun thinks because you spend most of your time with him, right?”

“B-but I…”

“You’re not the Digimon Kaiser anymore. You need to face your past.”

“… Just be-because I spend m-my time with Mo-Motomiya-kun does not mean I know him t-that well! To be honest I–”

“Just try, Ken-kun” - Takeru gave him a serious gaze - “We trust you, and you should trust yourself too.”

Ken was silent. Takeru’s words echoed in his head and those reminded him about Daisuke, especially all the times Motomiya Daisuke encouraged him that much. Yes, Daisuke influences every member of his team, just like the team influenced Daisuke.

It’s a mutual relationship.

“… Okay, I will try” - Ken answered and Takeru smiled. He began to think, how to open the gate to another world and go there find Daisuke. Then, he glanced at Funbeemon and - “Funbeemon, could you show us where you found this castle?”

Ken acting as the leader sounded good, at least to the other three.  
Miyako was pretty happy with it.

Funbeemon nodded and flew, showing them the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the only 0s & 1s have a message, but it's just a redux of the first notes.


	8. The Heart's Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 left to go.
> 
> This is one of my favorite new version of this arc because Hikari has more role and action instead of being inactive for the entire arc like in the original.
> 
> Also, read the 0s and 1s. I like to make random comments on them.

“What do you mean it was here?!” - Miyako wasn’t happy with the bee-like digimon - “There’s nothing here! Are you making fun of us?!”

She was pretty intimidating the poor Funbeemon, who didn’t know how in the world the castle had  _disappeared._  Ken just walked around the ‘crime scene’ and searched for something, a clue perhaps. Takeru and Iori tried to keep Miyako calm but she was very unhappy with it, alleging the digimon was lying to them.

“I don’t think it’s a lie” - Wormmon commented to the others - “It must be like that time we went to the Dark Ocean from nowhere.”

“That time?” - Hawkmon rested his beak on his wing - “We met you and Ken-san and tried to help you two, but suddenly we went into a distortion and ended up there.”

“Distortion?” - Ken glanced at the digi-quintet - “That’s it… We need to find a point in this place that could’ve been the barrier to that world.”

“You’re sounding like Daisuke-san now” - Iori commented - “I mean, no offense. But it reminded me of his plan to move the Holy Stone to a safer place with our digivices.”

“I don’t remember how did the castle appear in the first place” - explained Funbeemon - “But I’m not lying! I met a human named Daisuke and a V-mon. They helped me to reach the end of the castle’s labyrinth.”

“Better you not be wasting our time, you insect!” - Miyako kept giving the bee a death glare.

“S-she’s scary!!” - Funbeemon cried to the boys - “That sentinel from the labyrinth looks alike her!!”

“Huh?” - Iori blinked - “Did you meet someone who looked like Miyako-san?”

Funbeemon nodded.

“Ehh?! S-someone like me?! Like, in appearance?! Face?!”

“And that mage looked like him” - and Funbeemon pointed at Ken.

“What, like me??”

“I don’t think Funbeemon is lying” - Takeru said.

“Me too, dagya.”

“But it doesn’t matter” - Tailmon interrupted all the discussion - “How will we go there? And we don’t know where Hikari is yet… I don’t want to sound like Daisuke is not important, but Hikari is alone. Daisuke can handle himself if he has V-mon.”

“… It’s just a crazy theory but” - Ken looked directly to Tailmon - “If there’s a world with a version of us, then there’s high chances that Hikari-san is in this other world.”

Takeru had a flash, and exclaimed:

“Hikari-chan was looking at the merchandise in a shop window…!”

Miyako, Iori and the digimon seemed surprised.

“Ken-kun must be right… Maybe Hikari-chan’s other-self brought her to that world…!”

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Spending her time speaking with Lia made Hikari notice a lot of things in common. Like how gentle and innocent they are, their deep brotherly love with their siblings, them having friends who seemed similar to each other as well… But what made Hikari more and more curious was the fact that when she talked about Daisuke, Lia seemed to have met him.

It couldn’t be true…  
Why would Daisuke hide that from them? Or at least from her?

“Lia-san” - Hikari had to ask - “Did you meet Daisuke-kun before?”

“Daisuke…” - Lia was thoughtful. Then, she answered - “I met a person from another world once. He mistook me with a Hikari girl, so I guess it’s the same person…?”

“You met him…” - she looked at her feet - “Daisuke-kun… He likes me.”

“He’s a good person, isn’t he?” - Lia smiled - “I was mean to him, but if I ever meet him back I… I want to apologize for what I had done.”

“So this is why you found me. Because Daisuke-kun mistook you with me.”

“I’m sorry for borrowing you from your world, but I want to save mine.”

“It’s okay” - Hikari smiled back - “Daisuke-kun is a good friend, but… I hurt his feelings when I refused his invite to spend time with him. Now he’s avoiding me.”

Lia gasped.

“Why? When we met, he was a bit disappointed that I wasn’t you.”

“Was he…?”

“I think he was trying to give you a break, not that he hates you or something. Don’t worry.”

“That’s the problem, Lia-san. Daisuke-kun thinks that I do not like him, but I… I don’t want to make choices now. I’m just an Elementary student! I don’t want to have a relationship with anyone now…!”

“Maybe you should just tell him. I believe he will understand.”

“You’re right, Lia-san. Let’s save your world first so I can go home and talk to Daisuke-kun.”

Hikari grabbed Lia’s hand and dragged her down the dirt road.

“Wait, Hikari” - Lia giggled - “You don’t know the way!”

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“Daisuke, you’re different since we left Helios’ palace.”

V-mon could see and feel something odd in his partner, it was like Daisuke became pretty quiet compared to the time they were walking in the Castle’s labyrinth. He remembered that inside the labyrinth, Daisuke had been chatting and making puns enough to distract them from the corridor’s heavy and dark atmosphere.

But now? He was silent, thoughtful. So much unlike Motomiya Daisuke.

“Is there something bugging you?”

Vee kept insisting to converse with him.

“I hate it when you spend your time being quiet. Like, this is not you. You’re always joking and making things funnier. You’re the heart in the team.”

“… I don’t believe my mission here is to find Lia and Hikari-chan.”

Daisuke finally spoke.

“Huh? What do you mean with it?” - V-mon blinked.

“The Spooky-Daisuke-Ghost has a name” - he began - “And  _he_  also explained to me that I’m the only one who can save this world from the darkness. I couldn’t talk about it with Helios-san around, sorry.”

“What? So, we’re needed here right after finding Lia and Hikari?”

“Would Hikari-chan accept it? Accept that I’ll have to stay here and accomplish this mission?”

“She will understand. I guess.”

“… I never had done anything alone, V-mon” - he stopped and gave a concerned gaze to the digimon - “Remember? I hadn’t saved the world alone. I had Hikari-chan, Ken, Miyako, Iori, Takeru, Taichi-san’s team, the worldwide Chosen Children… All of them on my side!”

“You’re not alone, you have me!”

“I know, but what I meant is… Without them, I shouldn’t have won! Now I have this kind of mission labeling me ‘the chosen one’ and ‘you’re our only hope’ that I’m afraid of not being strong and powerful enough to save this entire world from the darkness!”

“You’re strong and powerful, Daisuke! You can do it!”

“… I must confess, I was afraid when we were fighting Vamdemon, but I had y’all on my side. I could see victory. I could tame my fears and give hope to everyone. But now I… I’m feeling like maybe I won’t do it.”

“You will, because I’m here!”

“Everyone thinks I’m courageous but… I’m not. I’m just a scaredy-cat trying to have courage.”

V-mon grabbed his hand, making Daisuke glance at him in surprise.

“I will be your shield, your courage and your strength. You’re my friend before my human partner. If you want to fight until the end of the world, I will fight alongside you.”

“V-mon…”

“So don’t worry about it. Alone or with the group, we can solve anything if we do it together.”

“You… That’s right.”

He put the digimon on his back, giving Vee a piggyback ride.

“We can do it, I ain’t alone because I have you…!” - he grinned - “Hold tight, now I’m your Lighdramon. Roar!”

V-mon laughed as they resumed their journey.

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“We’re almost there, Hikari” - said Lia, smiling and leading the way - “This is Duskstella.”

Lia pointed at the gates of the kingdom, but they were old and rusty thanks to the time aging factors. Lia probably expected Helios to fix it, however since they were still working on the worldwide relationships, they had no funds to attempt repairs.

“It’s beautiful, just like a fairy tale’s book!” - Hikari was amazed - “But where are you going, why are we taking another way?”

“Because I did bad things to Duskstella’s people” - she confessed - “They don’t deserve to be threatened by my presence.”

“Oh… But just like you told me to tell Daisuke-kun that I’m not rejecting him but I don’t want a romantic relationship now, you should tell the people that you regret for whatever you had done to them.”

“I don’t know… My brother…”

“… I think your brother would’ve wanted you to tell them how deeply regretful you are.”

Lia kept glancing at Hikari in silence, thinking about it. Did her brother want it? Or Hikari was assuming he would because that’s what Taichi would want if it was Hikari’s problem?

“Okay, I will try– Huh?”

Lia immediately, dragged Hikari out of the way from a scythe attack. Then, she recognized that weapon… It was just… The same weapon used to kill her brother.

“He found me…!” - Lia said, bit her lips and told Hikari - “Hikari, run. I will keep him busy. He does not want you, but me.”

“Who?”

_“Look at this…! Two Duskstellas.”_

“That voice sounds like… Takeru-kun” - Hikari gasped and did it  _again_  when she saw a blond boy in front of them.

“She’s not a Duskstella, you creep!” - Lia shouted - “She’s another person, from another world! If you dare to hurt her, I will make you pay!”

“You don’t need to lie to me, Lia Duskstella” - he smirked - “I’ve been looking for you. And when I find  _him_ , I will send  _him_ to the darkness as well.”

“You know  _he_ is dead!” - she charged her hands with pink spheres - “You killed  _him_  and I won’t let you kill me or Hikari!”

“Dead? I met  _him_ with a monster in the road to Duskstella,” - he answered - “ _He_ was pretty alive to me.”

“D-don’t–… Wait… A monster?” - Lia stared at him, petrified - “Don’t tell me Daisuke is in this world.”

“Daisuke-kun is here?!” - Hikari babbled, panicked - “Where did you find him?” - she tried to get some information from the boy - “You’re Takeru-kun from this world, aren’t you?”

“My name is Boniface,” - he grabbed the scythe and was ready to hit the girls - “and I am your condemnation…!”

Hikari thought it was the end.  
She could feel it in her spine, that she was about to die there… Killed by injustice, by a person who looked like her best friend since she was young.

At this hour, Yagami Hikari wished to be saved. Wished that Tailmon was there.  
Wished to Daisuke to appear and save her, since he was in that corrupted and unknown world too.

But what saved her was her own power.  
A barrier of light was built around her and Lia, repelling the scythe.

When she realized it, she saw the symbol (crest) of Light on her chest, shining in pink light. It surprised both Lia and Boniface, who wasn’t sure what had happened there.

But Hikari knew. It was the power of Light. The power of her crest, the power that brings life to the world. She, the  _Light Child of the Digital World_.

“How did you–”

“I don’t know, but… You won’t kill anyone here” - Hikari said with a serious tone - “Stay away from us” - she ordered Boniface - “NOW.”

“And you think I will give up on my mission?!” - Boniface kept hitting the barrier, trying to force it to get down - “You and  _him_ must die, Lia Duskstella!!”

A roar echoed and a beast jumped right against Boniface, stealing his scythe. Lia felt relieved and grinned.

“Amis!”

“Amis?” - Hikari frowned.

A Black Weregarurumon was fighting Boniface. And in this form, Amis was much stronger than a human. He threw Boniface away and glanced at the girls.

“Two Lias?!”

“She’s not a copy” - Lia giggled - “Thank you, Amis.”

“This won’t end here, Lia Duskstella!” - Boniface took the Scythe and vanished.

“He’s gone” - Lia commented - “Right in time, if weren’t for Hikari’s magical barrier we could’ve died here.”

“But you know spells that could’ve stopped him” - Amis argued - “What wouldn’t you attack him?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”

“Excuse me,” - Hikari looked at the lupine digimon - “have you seen a boy with goggles and a blue digimon with a yellow ‘V’ on the forehead?”

“She meant Daisuke and his partner monster” - explained Lia.

“Does he know Daisuke-kun and V-mon??”

“Ah, yes” - Amis nodded - “He’s here, master Warlock summoned him here to look for you. And now, master Warlock told me to find and help him.”

“Then we need to find him!” - Lia seemed nervous - “That hooded boy, Boniface, said he’s going to kill him!”

“I don’t understand… Why would he want to kill Daisuke-kun?”

“Because he mistook him with my brother!”

Hikari was in denial now.  
So Lia’s brother wasn’t the Taichi from that world…?!


	9. Mutual Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally to be called "Symbiosis", but it could've spoiler a _thing_.  
>  And this was written around the release of Kyosei/Coexistence.
> 
> 0s and 1s have hidden comments. I'm trying to keep them funny though.  
> Just one chapter left and then we start the last arc (okay no, there's another arc but that's mostly a prequel) and then we start Hinode events.

“Daisuke-kun…?” - Hikari was in denial.

“Yes, my brother resembles Daisuke” - Lia said it again - “He used to believe in a world where the monsters and humans could live together, and he believed in other worlds existing besides of ours. He wasn’t a genius, but was… Brilliant.”

Hikari remained in denial.  
Lia just described her brother and Hikari pictured Daisuke, with a huge problem to accept it. No, her brother is Taichi.  _Yagami Taichi._  She couldn’t believe there’s a world where she’s not Taichi’s brother.

“My brother does not exist in this world…?” - it was saddening to her, imagining that there were no Taichi, in a world where she is Daisuke’s sister.

“Your brother?” - Lia frowned - “What’s wrong, Hikari?”

“My brother is not Daisuke-kun. Daisuke-kun is my childhood friend.”

“I don’t know your brother, but I can sympathize with your delusional reaction. I’d have been crushed and desperate if I were in a world where my brother hadn’t existed.”

“But, if Daisuke’s similar to  _him_ ,” - Amis began - “Then, someone like her brother must exist here.”

It restored Hikari’s hope. But she wasn’t there to meet the Taichi of that world.  
She was there to help Lia save that world. Meeting other counterparts of her friends was just a mere bonus.

Though… She wasn’t happy that Lia’s brother was dead. She would’ve liked to meet  _him_  and see how much similar to Daisuke  _he_  was. Just hearing Lia talking about  _him_ made her wish  _he_  were still there.

“We can look for the person who’s alike Hikari’s brother later” - Lia said, showing a bit of her brother now - “We must find Daisuke. Let’s see an old friend of my brother first. But, Amis, you can’t go to the town like this…”

“You’re right, just a moment” - Amis then snapped his fingers and switched to his human form, making Hikari more and more confused. Well, at least his voice sounded like Yamato.

And they left, straight to Duskstella.  
This was the only case she hoped to be accepted.

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“What are you thinking… We’ve been looking for hours in this forest and nothing!!”

The quartet and the quintet digimon – with Funbeemon’s help – were still looking for the barrier in the forest, trying to find the exact point connecting the two worlds.  
It sounded like a nonsense conspiracy theory that only Daisuke could’ve done, but at this point Ken was channeling to his inner Daisuke.

They had to find him, and hope that Hikari was with him as well.

“Ken-kun, this makes no sense…!” - Miyako was panicked (yes, all again), now discussing about how they would go to another world.

“I’m sure about what I’m doing” - he answered - “Please, have a bit of confidence.”

“Yes, let’s keep looking for the barrier’s point” - Takeru agreed - “Don’t give up on it, Miyako-san.”

“I expected it from Daisuke, but not from Ken-kun…”

“You guys wanted me to act like Motomiya-kun, so I’m acting like Motomiya-kun.”

“Actually, we wanted you to be the lead. Not a new Daisuke!”

“They’re having their first couple fight” - Iori joked, making Ken and Miyako blush together.

“Yup” - Takeru chuckled.

It was strange to see Iori teasing them. It was pretty rare to see Iori doing it, nonetheless not impossible. Takeru immediately relieved the time when Daisuke had been trying to gain some points with Hikari by trying to look for Tailmon’s Holy Ring. That scene had both Miyako and Iori teasing the poor goggle boy enough to make him blush.

And Takeru agreeing with Iori caused more panic to Miyako, who wasn’t  _that_ opened about her crush on Ken. And Ken’s status about crushes were unknown.  
Just like Daisuke, Miyako didn’t want to disrespect Ken’s decisions and privacy. And just like Hikari, Ken didn’t want to take a decision right now.

“We are not a couple, Iori, Takeru-kun” - Miyako felt terrible inside to say it, but she wanted Ken to not feel pressured by their friends.

“Y-yes…” - but at the first time, Ken showed some  _explicit_  signal that ~maybe~ he liked Miyako back.

“I don’t want to sound obnoxious, but we need to find them as soon as possible” - said Tailmon - “I hope that Hikari is with Daisuke, if not… We will have to open the dark gate–”

“We won’t go there” - Ken said calmly - “I’m sure Hikari-san is with Motomiya-kun.”

“I know you don’t want to open the dark gate, but have you ever imagined if she is in the Dark Ocean, Ken?” - yet, Tailmon was losing her patience with him - “You have to face your fears. You’re not going there alone, we’re going with you.”

He didn’t reply her.

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They kept walking in the streets of Duskstella, Lia and Hikari wearing hoods to conceal their presence from public’s attention. Hikari found that place a bit…  _sad_ but normal? She expected to meet a place full of darkness, but that wasn’t eerie and negative? However, the lack of vivid colors gave her the impression that place was indeed engulfed by the darkness.

While she was walking, she saw a person walking in the streets that looked just like Sora. Maybe it was her impression, but that lady really had red hair and the same haircut Sora has.

They arrived at the palace, and it was lucky that the staff had passed them through…  
… Because they all knew Lia and knew that Helios had a great relationship with her.  
But it was weird to see  _two Lias_  together.

“Lia…?” - Helios grinned, happy to see her back, but…

Hikari ran towards and hugged him.

“Oniichan!”

“Wh-what??! Wh-who are you?!”

Lia giggled, then glanced at Helios with a smile.

“She’s Hikari. She’s from another world. I called her here so we could save ours.”

“But what uh… Who’s ‘Oniichan’?”

“I believe she meant her brother” - Amis assumed.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not your brother…” - he gave a nervous laugh, then patted Hikari’s head - “But you seem a lovely sister though.”

She let him got quickly and bowed her head.

“I… I’m sorry! I thought you were… I thought you were my brother!”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind…!!” - Helios felt extremely bad for her - “You really look like Lia, though…”

“Your Majesty,” - Lia looked at him - “Have you seen Daisuke and his monster?”

“Lia, you don’t need to call me like that–”

“Please, answer my question. His life’s in danger!”

“… He was here at this morning.”

“W-where did he go, your majesty?” - now it was Hikari who asked. No, she couldn’t let someone kill her friend. She had to save him…!!

“He left to the forest” - Helios answered - “If you go now, maybe you can find him.”

“Okay, we’re going. Thank you your majesty!” - Hikari grabbed Lia’s and Amis’ wrists and dragged them to the exit - “Nice to meet you, your majesty!”

“Uh… You’re welcome??” - he answered, but the other three were far away to hear him now.

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“Why are we going in this direction, Daisuke?” - V-mon couldn’t understand Daisuke’s behavior right now - “If Lia is not in Duskstella, maybe she returned to Scientia Terra.”

That was a great hypothesis, but Daisuke was different from the beginning of that search.

“Daisuke?”

No answers… And since V-mon was walking by his side now, he could see his human partner admiring the crystal pendant again, in total silence.  
What was he thinking about? Why was he so different from the usual? It was pretty odd to have a silent Daisuke rather than a noisy playful Daisuke.

“Are you okay…?”

For an instance, V-mon saw that Daisuke’s eyes had shifted color – from brown to orange.  
He didn’t know if it was a hallucination or not, but Daisuke’s quietness was bugging him so much…! He wanted a noisy Daisuke, not  that kind of Daisuke!

“Talk to me, please!”

Daisuke blinked and his eyes went back to normal. The boy looked at V-mon, clueless.

“What’s wrong, V-mon?”

“Daisuke, you were too quiet!”

“I was just… thinking how can we save this world” - Daisuke answered - “I mean, if Dai said I’m the one who can do it… How can I do it?!”

“Dai is…??”

“Spooky-other-me.The ghost. His name is Dai.”

“Not so different from yours.”

“The ‘Dai’ in my name means ‘big’, his ‘Dai’ means ‘to shine’. So, not the same name.”

“Oh, thanks for explaining it to me.”

“We have no time to waste… Lia and Hikari-chan need us. And this world needs to be saved.”

“Okay but why are we going in this direction?” - V-mon asked again - “If Lia is not here, then this means she must be back to Warlock’s castle!”

“Because…” - he showed the star-shaped crystal pendant.

“What? Don’t tell me the star–”

“We have a mutual understanding? It’s weird to explain it, V-mon, but… Since the time I got this necklace, I started to have those flashbacks.”

“Uh, I thought it was Lia’s spell who was giving you those–”

“No, maybe not. I’ve been seeing Dai before meeting Lia. Something strange is happening, but I dunno how to explain it.”

“You could ask him again, if you can find him.”

“That’s why I’m following the crystal pendant. I want to find Dai again, and ask him to tell me more. And the pendant also says that this is the way I will find Lia and Hikari-chan.”

“So we keep going this way?”

“Yep.”

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“Can you leave the castle’s domains now, Flannery?” - Warlock was trying his best - “I think I found the spell Lia casted on us.”

“I will try…”

Suddenly a flash and a loud noise interrupted their conversation:

 _“AAAH!”_  
“THAT HURTS!!”  
“It hurt, Dagya…!”  
“KEN-KUN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!”  
“I’m fine, but–”  
“KENCHAN TELL EVERYONE TO GET OFF OF ME!!”  
“We’re sorry Wormmon!!”  
“Miyako-san, everyone, are you okay?”  
“I’m dizzy but fine… Eh? Where are we?!”  
“Takeruu, are you okay?”  
“Y-yeah…”

Flannery and Warlock decided to look outside and then saw three monsters and four kids lying on the ground. Two monsters were flying around the group though.

“I think you opened a gate, master Warlock” - Flannery sighed.  
“M-My bad, I must be done something w-wrong!!” - Warlock panicked.

After the group got up, Ken and Miyako were shocked with the appearance of the ones looking at them. These two looked identical to them, but a bit older. It was weird to see a Ken with glasses and a Miyako with Shurimon’s outfit.

“They look like Miyako-san and Ken-kun” - Takeru blinked.  
“A-are they digimons??” - Iori asked.

“I assume they’re from sir Daisuke’s world” - Warlock commented with the guardian - “I didn’t expect to open a gate to their world and… get them here by accident.”

“You… Brought us here?” - Ken frowned.


	10. Revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gather the 0s & 1s to read the message.  
> Also this chapter is the last one of arc 2. Thank you for reading!
> 
> Arc 3 comes next, and it's about the 02 kids and Dai.  
> Now you may ask, is "Dai" referring to Daisuke or to his counterpart's ALIAS?

Warlock couldn’t help but explain everything to those kids and their partners. They got inside the castle and started asking questions, and the poor mage was afraid that he couldn’t answer all of them.

But Ken seemed to be the leader, or had finally accepted the ‘role’ the group had given him. He told the other three to calm down. He was the one to make inquiries now, especially…

“… How did you know Motomiya Daisuke?”

“Lia,” - Warlock began - “a girl who was the sister of my best friend used a spell to search for brave warriors to come after me in the labyrinth. Sir Daisuke was one of her victims.”

“Hm…” - Ken was thoughtful - “So Motomiya-kun came to this world because he was summoned?”

“He mentioned he was kidnapped by Amis, one of my servants and friends.”

“Makes sense…”

“Although sir Daisuke was the only one able to beat the labyrinth after my best friend did when I was teaching  _him_  to control those powers.”

“So Motomiya-kun was the first after a while?”

“Yes, and he, sir Daisuke, also encouraged me to face Lia and tell her to give up on trying to bring her brother back.”

“Is your friend dead or something?” - Miyako asked - “A-ah, I don’t want to sound tactless tho-though!”

“It’s okay” - Warlock smiled - “ _He_  was a wonderful friend, and yes  _he_ died and  _his_  death caused a terrible effect on Lia. Which is why I took the powerful object from her hands and used the labyrinth to protect it.”

“Ok…” - Ken said, his eyes watching Warlock with caution - “Next question… Why is Motomiya Daisuke in this world again?”

“So you know he’s here?” - Warlock seemed surprised with Ken’s deduction.

“Him and a girl named Yagami Hikari disappeared from our world” - now it was Tailmon who decided to make questions - “Did you see them?”

Warlock sighed. How to explain that, judging by his and Daisuke’s hypothesis, that the cause of Hikari’s disappearance from Daisuke’s world was Lia’s fault?

“No, but I must be honest” - and the wizard replied - “Lia might be the one who brought your friend here, to fix this world. Since sir Daisuke explained that ‘Hikari’ is a bearer of light from your world.”

Tailmon, Miyako, Iori, Takeru, their partners and Wormmon gasped. Ken was expressionless.

“I called sir Daisuke to bring Lia back, but I believe finding Lia means he will find your friend Hikari as well. I’d love to go after them, but Lia put a spell on Flannery and me. We can’t leave the domains of our castle. And Amis left to find sir Daisuke.”

“We can handle it by ourselves, don’t worry!” - Miyako felt energetic, but Ken raised his hand as he was asking her to stop.

“We can’t go searching for him yet, Miyako-san” - he answered - “Because we don’t know anything about this world yet.”

“I… I forgot about it…” - she blushed with a bit of embarrassment.

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“He’s closer, right?” - Hikari asked, a bit anxiously.

“No, I can’t smell his scent” - Amis replied - “Or his monster’s…”

“I’m scared… If that person find him… What if he kill Daisuke-kun?”

“I doubt it” - Lia smiled - “He faced the labyrinth’s sentinels and trials bravely and succeeded. And besides, you said he can count on his monster partner right?”

“At least he’s with V-mon…” - Hikari felt a bit relieved - “But I… Without Tailmon I’m useless.”

“I don’t think you are” - the other girl responded - “Right before Amis appear to help us, you used some kind of magic and created that barrier. You saved our lives from Boniface’s fatal blow.”

“I don’t know if I can do it again…”

“Trust yourself. You can do more than you think, Hikari.”

“I… If I were with Daisuke-kun I–”

“That kid can deal with a lot of things” - Amis rolled his eyes - “I wouldn’t be worried.”

“Amis is right!” - Lia grabbed Hikari’s hands - “Daisuke is like my brother, he can deal with anything!”

“I know Daisuke-kun and he’s able to make the impossible be possible, but… Him alone cannot do that much. Like me, I feel like I’m a burden when I’m without Tailmon.”

“Like a burden…” - Amis muttered and seemed bugged with that. Then a flash came in his mind, about Lia’s brother:

 _“…_ I _just feel like I’m a burden, Amis. Haha,_ I _did a terrible thing that_ I _will forever regret. And before that,_ I _ignored Lia’s warnings. None of those would’ve happened if_ I _had listened to her. And now…_ I’m _fated to be hated by the others from_ my  _own hometown._ My _mother wouldn’t have been proud of what_ I’ve _became.”_

Amis clenched his fists:

“LISTEN HERE, GIRL” - he stopped and glanced at her with his eyes changing from blue to gold - “No one is a burden! Everyone has a place in this world…! And I’m sure YOU have your own role in your world! So don’t dare to say this to us.”

Hikari felt scared, but something in Amis made her remember Yamato. Yes, Yamato could’ve said those to her… Maybe a bit differently (perhaps not yelling?), but she had to remind herself that Amis Lupe may have Ishida Yamato’s appearance but they’re not the same person.

“AMIS, don’t yell at her!” - Lia hissed.

She couldn’t help but smile. And laugh.

“You’re like a person in my world!” - Hikari commented - “except he only yells with my brother and Daisuke-kun.”

Amis blushed.

“I dunno who’s that person but I hope he cares about you.”

“He does. He cares about everyone except him being a bit… cold outside.”

They suddenly saw a pair of shadows, one’s tiny, and the other’s bigger, walking alongside each other. Hikari squinted and tried to see if they were Daisuke and V-mon. Suddenly, she heard her D-3 beeping, like if she had caught a signal. She grabbed Lia and Amis hands and dragged them with her, walking hastily to catch the silhouettes up.

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“Daisuke… I don’t think we will find them here.”

“Don’t worry… I’m sure we will find them” - he smiled, but V-mon felt that something was… off. It sounded like Daisuke but at the same time it was different from Daisuke.

“What’s with this sudden confidence?” - Vee blinked - “A few hours ago you were… Doubting about your own power.”

Daisuke stop and gave him a confused gaze at his partner. Was it wrong to feel a bit of hope? Well, not when he’s acting a bit out of himself since they arrived in Duskstella’s lands. And that… Talk about talking with the ‘Spooky-Daisuke’?!

“There you are!” - Daisuke pointed at the specter of blue light, who was smiling at him. Vee wasn’t sure what was happening - “Oi, you let me talk alone. I have memories that are not mine popping up in my head! Some strange feelings, like sorrow and rage… I didn’t find Hikari-chan or Lia yet, but you have to explain me those right now!”

_“… Motomiya Daisuke, you know the answer to those. Just look inside yourself.”_

“What?” - both Daisuke and Vee exclaimed.

A distant voice caught his attention. A familiar voice… He looked back and saw Hikari, Lia and Amis coming in his direction.

“Hikari-chan!!” - he smiled, but then he glanced at the spirit - “I’m tired of enigmas, tell me already…!”

 _‘I finally found_ you  _!!’_  was heard and a scythe almost hit him and V-mon, but they dodged in time. The spirit stood behind Daisuke and bit his lips. He didn’t want that to happen. Not now, not NOW!!

“Are you having fun, Duskstella?” - Boniface landed and took the scythe from the ground, pointing it directly at Daisuke - “I came to take  _your_ life away.”

Pink Fireballs were released against the enemy. Boniface jumped to the trees to escape from them. It wouldn’t stop him though, since he decided to attack her and the other three.

“H-Hikari-chan!” - Daisuke screamed in panic. Then he glanced at the spirit - “I need  _your_  help… At least this time.”

 _“…_ I _can’t do much–”_

“STOP SAYING  _YOU_  CAN’T!” - the goggle boy shouted, then grabbed the ghost’s hand - “If  _you_  want to do something now,  _you_  have to do it NOW. I have  _your_  memories and feelings, so… I can… Do this with  _you,_ so please lend me  _your_  power!”

How Daisuke was able to hold  _his_ hand was unexplainable, but since Daisuke had done it… Those memories and feelings resonated more clearly.   
No, he was sure… Now he was definitely sure what was happening to him since he started to see Dai in the place of his own reflection.

He has gotten the answer.

“Are we there already?” - Miyako asked, flying on Aquilamon, with Tailmon, Iori and Armadimon as her company while Takeru was on Pegasmon with Ken and Wormmon - “I don’t see this country…”

“Star shaped, star shaped” - Iori was searching for it - “Th-there it is! It’s ahead, Miyako-san!”

“I expected that it would’ve been a hard journey” - Ken commented - “But it seems that there’s some kind of supernatural force within these skies, like if they form a road.”

“Just like Warlock-san said” - Takeru smiled - “Did you get Daisuke-kun’s or Hikari-chan’s D-3 signal yet?”

Ken and Iori checked their digivices. Two very weak blue and pink dots were giving a silent beep. Yes, they found the missing duo. Tailmon felt relieved, but not that much, panicked that Hikari could’ve been in trouble. She had to hear Ken saying if the blue dot is around, this means Daisuke is probably helping her and vice-versa. And that V-mon is with them, since they hadn’t found the blue digimon in their world before.

When they flew over the forest, they saw some lights from a heating battle.

“D-do you think they’re–”

“Let’s… go there!” - ordered Ken - “A-ah, if you guys want to, I won’t force you to–”

“Daisuke-kun and Hikari-chan might need us!” - Takeru contested - “You’re right.”

They flew in the direction of the flashes of light.

01110010 01100101 01110110 01100101 01100001 01101100 01100101 01100100 00101110

Boniface was attacking the other three without hesitation, with Hikari using the power of her crest to create a barrier of light, while Lia tried to hit him with pink projectiles. Amis jumped in and tried to slash the enemy with his claws, now changing to his werewolf form. V-mon wanted to fight, but…

“D-Daisuke, if we don’t do something, Boniface will kill Hikari and Lia!”

… When he looked at Daisuke again…  
The boys eyes were shining in orange, his smile radiated a serene aura. Then Vee saw him chuckle. What was going on with his own partner after that ‘fusion’ with Spooky-Daisuke’s spirit?!

“So, this is the answer” - Daisuke’s voice sounded way different - “I can’t believe I wasn’t able to realize it before… I’m such a pathetic living being, hehe.”

“W-what are you talking about?! Your friends are in danger, WE are in danger! There’s a serial killer trying to murder all of us!”

“Ah right right, Boniface’s a problem, isn’t he?” - he patted the digimon’s head, then he summoned the same weapon the spirit had used to fight the giant Flymon when they had met for the first time - “Try to keep an eye on them, I’ll be right back.”

Daisuke dashed against Boniface and attacked, the blade of both weapons collided and they start dueling. V-mon approached from Lia and Hikari, with Amis stepping back from the fight (since he’s unable to beat a scythe with his fists). No one understood what had actually happened there. Not even Boniface.

“What are you doing, Daisuke-kun?!” - Hikari felt concerned again - “How did he–”

“That blade…” - Lia and Amis were shocked - “How did he get it?!”

 _“Hikari!!”_  
_“Hikari-chan!”  
“Hikari-san!”_

Hikari looked to the skies and saw a white furball falling in her direction. She caught Tailmon in her arms and grinned. Ah yes, now she’s able to fight! Not only make ‘shields’ or whatever was that inner power discovered in that unknown world.

“Tailmon!”

“We finally found you, I was worried!” - the cat-like monster said with a frown, something rare to be seen in Tailmon’s face. Since the cat digimon used to hide her emotions with a straight face - “Are you okay?”

“I am” - Hikari nodded - “Lia-san called me here.”

“Lia?” - and then Tailmon saw another ‘Hikari’ standing in front her and Hikari.

The others landed and were reunited with Hikari, while Daisuke was still dueling with Boniface, who got distracted with the new group and had his scythe taken from his hands by V-mon after giving him a headbutt attack.

Boniface fell on the ground, and Daisuke pointed the glaive blade at his neck. The group approached and Lia shouted:

“Get it over, Boniface! You can’t beat us! Enough, leave me and my friends alone!”

“Never!” - when he got up from the dirt, Amis surprised him and immobilized him with a bear hug - “HEY LET ME GO!”

“It’s done…” - Daisuke sighed relieved - “I thought I’d have been killed by him again.”

“…’Again’?” - everyone exclaimed, confused with what Daisuke had said.

“Yeah, again. Remember all those feels and strange flashes I was having for a while? Well, I figured it out! Haha, you gotta believe me!”

“Daisuke, are you okay?” - V-mon seemed afraid.

“I am, don’t worry” - Daisuke smiled - “To be honest, it’s all right now.  _I_  will explain it, _I_  hope we have time before we can do something for  _my_  old home.”

“… ‘Old home’?” - again, everyone had a confusing reaction.

“Yeah, old home.  _I_ was from this world once, and  _I_ went to another world, where  _I_ became a  **new person**. It’s funny how  **Daisuke**  and  _I_  are similar, perhaps… a fragment of this life generated a new personality?”

“What are you talking about, Motomiya-kun?!” - Ken was babbling - “You’re talking like–”

“You’re talking like my brother” - Lia blinked - “A-are you saying that– !!”

“Haha,  **Motomiya Daisuke**  is _me_  and  _I_ am  **him**. Mystery solved.  _I_ never expected to have some kind of piece of  _me_  in this world yet.  _I_  thought it would’ve disappeared after a few years… Not all spells are forever, get it?”

“Something happened when you touched Spooky-Daisuke!” - Vee reminded of the previous event - “But that’s still confusing…”

“Don’t worry,  _I_  will explain everything. First,  _I’d_ like to introduce  _myself_  to  _my_ actual friends. And to those who already knew  _me_ , let’s say it’s nice to meet you again.”

“Introduce yourself?”

“ _My_  name was  _Lance Duskstella,_  and  _I_ returned to the mortal world as  **Motomiya Daisuke**.”

“Eeeeeeeeh?!” - The 02 kids and their digimon (with V-mon included) exclaimed, even more confused than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a trivia: Besides _Daughter/Servant of Evil_ and _Black Rock Shooter_ , this fic was also based on _Sonic and the Black Knight_ by format.
> 
> You know... When Sonic is summoned inside the books, interacts with the counterparts of his friends, but at the same time he takes the role of the "missing" character in the story when you reach the last part of the game?  
> Well, Daisuke here takes place of his own counterpart. There's no Daisuke counterpart because **he is his own counterpart**.
> 
> I liked that aspect of the _Sonic and the Story Books_ series and I wish they had kept working on it. Seeing Sonic's franchise mixed with story books, myths and folklore made me amazed.


End file.
